Scott Laughton

Last Season

Thirteen goals and 20 points in 64 games across two clubs, fourteen minutes a night. The seven assists is a strikingly low number and says something about the line he spent the year on.

The Finesse Game

Modest. He has scored fifteen goals in a season and he has scored five; the difference is usually who he plays with rather than anything he does. The shot is a decent one from the slot, the hands are ordinary, and he does not create for teammates.

The useful part is his speed and his willingness to use it in his own end. He forechecks hard, kills penalties, takes defensive draws, and can be moved to the wing without complaint.

The Physical Game

Six-one and 190, and he plays a full-contact game. He finishes checks, he is durable, and he will fight if the situation calls for it. Not a heavyweight, and not shy.

The Intangibles

Twelve years and 745 games of exactly this. He was the twentieth pick and never became a scorer, and the honest version of his career is that he turned into a useful third-line centre instead of a bust, which is not the same thing as a disappointment.

Thirty-two, on a team with a lot of veterans in similar roles. His minutes are not guaranteed.