Flyers take center, 18, in first round

PITTSBURGH - In the Year of the Defensemen, in which eight out of the first 10 picks in Friday night's entry draft were blue-liners, the Flyers predictably chose to bypass selecting a polished defenseman to fill a much-needed gap in their farm system.

Instead, with talented names such as Finland's Olli Maatta and Saskatoon's Dalton Thrower still on the board, the Flyers drafted from leftfield to select center Scott Laughton from the OHL's Oshawa Generals at No. 20 overall.

Laughton, 18, collected 53 points in 68 games with Oshawa last season. He overcame a slow start to his season, in which he posted just three goals in his first 25 games, to finish with 21 goals, which helped propel him up the draft rankings.

Laughton tried on his first Flyers jersey and posed with GM Paul Holmgren, team president Peter Luukko and director of scouting Chris Pryor to a smattering of boos in the hostile Consol Energy Center.

"It's a dream come true, it's a little surreal," Laughton said, who also said he was surprised he was taken that high. He mentioned that his two favorite players are Mike Richards and Shane Doan.

The approximately 12,000 fans in attendance at the draft booed the Flyers from the time the team's brass took the stage until well after Laughton's moment in the spotlight was photographed and finished.

The NHL's Central Scouting service had Laughton ranked as the 28th-best North American-trained skater. He made a big jumped from 40th in the midseason rankings to 28th.

Laughton's biggest claim to fame so far in his career was scoring the gold medal-winning goal in the 2011 Under-18 IIHF Ivan Hlinka Tournament for Team Canada. He hails from Oakville, Ontario, just outside of Toronto.

In selecting Laughton, the Flyers bypassed a slew of other talented forwards, including Martin Frk, Mike Winther and Stefan Matteau, players that were all ranked considerably higher. However, Holmgren said before the draft that the Flyers would select the top player on their list, regardless of position.

Laughton, who checks in at 6-foot and 170 pounds, has a mean streak in him that will make him a mainstay with the Flyers. He racked up 101 penalty minutes in 64 OHL games and dropped the gloves seven times during the season.

Around the NHL, Laughton was viewed as a hard-working center, despite lacking elite size or speed. Reports have Laughton excelling in puck battles and puck possession. He rarely makes turnovers and is noted for his hockey sense and intelligence.

One scouting report, posted on OHL Prospects, even compared Laughton to Richards for his compete level, calling him a "completely underrated" player.

For the longest time on Friday night, it appeared as if a player the Flyers deeply coveted - in 17-year-old Finnish forward Teuvo Teravainen - would fall right into their lap at No. 20 overall. Teravainen was the second-ranked European trained skater. He was snapped up by the Blackhakws just two picks before the Flyers.

Despite Laughton's off-the-board status, it's tough to second guess the gut of Holmgren's scouting staff. Last June, when most thought defenseman Dougie Hamilton was the obvious choice for the Flyers at No. 8 overall, the Flyers stepped up and grabbed Sean Couturier from Drummondville in Quebec.

"[Scott's] upside is enormous," Laughton's assistant coach, Roger Hunt, recently told the New England Hockey Journal. "I see him as being ahead of the curve in terms of being a guy who has skill, but plays with an edge. He gets his shot through on net, and will also go to the net for tips. He's a tireless worker who loves to practice and comes to play every night. Those attributes are what set Scotty apart from many of his peers."

Contact Frank Seravalli at seravaf@phillynews.com.