{"id":70416,"date":"2020-03-02T08:30:43","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T13:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=70416"},"modified":"2020-03-02T08:17:29","modified_gmt":"2020-03-02T13:17:29","slug":"nhl-rumours-flyers-golden-knights-devils","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2020\/03\/02\/nhl-rumours-flyers-golden-knights-devils\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Rumours: Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights and More"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello and welcome back to the Monday edition of NHL Rumours<\/a>. The trade deadline is in the rearview mirror and we are only a few weeks away from the postseason. Continue to check in with Last Word on Hockey for all the newest news and best analysis. Today’s NHL rumours feature the Philadelphia Flyers<\/a>, Vegas Golden Knights<\/a> and New Jersey Devils<\/a>.<\/p>\n

All NHL rumours come from their original source and are subject to change.<\/em><\/p>\n

NHL Rumours<\/h2>\n

Philadephia Flyers<\/h3>\n

Rumour: Last week’s 31 Thoughts revealed<\/a> that the Philadelphia Flyers received heavy interest regarding forward Scott Laughton<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Analysis:\u00a0<\/em>It is no surprise teams would contact Philadephia regarding Laughton’s future. The 25-year-old former first-round pick is a fine player but is getting caught in the team’s increasingly crowded depth chart. The Flyers have several players who look capable of taking away Laughton’s spot in the top-six as soon as 2020-21.<\/p>\n

Laughton has 12 goals and 24 points in 44 games this season. His per-game scoring rate puts him on a pace to exceed last season’s 12 goals and 32 points in 82 games but he is also shooting well above his career rate. Laughton has typically scored on 9.5 percent of his shots but is almost double that this year at 17.9. Philadephia could have sold high on their skilled forward but see him as a key piece to their immediate future. Laughton also has a very team-friendly contract that counts against the cap for $2.3 million through next season.<\/p>\n

It is hard to know what Laughton’s future is with Philadelphia. He doesn’t seem capable of being a true 40-50 point scorer at this stage of his career to make him a reliable top-six option. The team could have Nolan Patrick<\/a><\/strong> back for 2020-21 and Morgan Frost<\/a><\/strong> will make case for a roster spot in training camp. Laughton is safe for now but has value as a trade chip next season. His name will also come up this summer as a way to acquire reinforcements in the offseason.<\/p>\n

Vegas Golden Knights<\/h3>\n

Rumour: Scott Burnside of The Athletic recently speculated that the Golden Knights could pay a hefty premium to acquire Alex Pietrangelo<\/a><\/strong> in free agency.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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What a month March is shaping up to be. Our Power Rankings and some thoughts on Alain Vigneault, Taylor Hall and Chris Kreider. https:\/\/t.co\/72O2khH9iw<\/a><\/p>\n

— Scott Burnside (@OvertimeScottB) March 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n