Flyers Re-Sign Scott Laughton to Two-Year Extension

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall has made his summer about building the team’s prospect pool and starting competition.

He contributed to the latter Tuesday by signing restricted free agent Scott Laughton to a two-year deal worth $1.925 million. The first year Laughton will earn $825,000 and $1.05 million the second year with an average cap hit of $962,500.

So who is the competition?

It looks like Laughton and Mike Vecchione, who signed as a free agent out of Union College in April, will battle it out for the fourth-line center spot vacated by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who was taken by the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft.

The Flyers left Bellemare unprotected for the sake of protecting Laughton. Now that he’s not eligible to be sent to the minors without having to clear waivers — Vecchione is waiver exempt — it looks like Laughton has the upper hand with two months to go before training camp.