You make a lot of good points here, but the main point of this thread is not how to eliminate fighting, but how to get useless plugs/goons out of the NHL.
I think most have said that we like guys who can play the game and will fight at times, hit, provide intimidation, etc.
Of the stars that you mentioned, Gretzky was the only one who didn't fight his own battles.
Not that they were good hockey players, but even in their worst years, guys like McSorely and Maki probably exceeded Scott's carreer point totals.
But here's the thing, I've heard people say the following are reasons for fights:
1) Provide emotional lift to dead team
2) Change momentum of the game
3) Deter players from taking cheapshots on your guys
IF you believe those are true, then John Scott (or any other goon) isn't "useless" because they can do all of those things. Even if you are one of the people who are saying "staged" fights aren't good, you'd have to admit that IF you believe a fight can lift a team's emotions, then a staged fight can do that as easily as a non-staged fight.
So, in that scenario these guys AREN'T useless.
However, it's my belief that those listed benefits to fighting are at best vastly overstated, and more likely, non-existent. In that case, teams are hurting themselves by getting guys who can only fight. So why would we want to get rid of them and help other teams?
I guess I just don't see what the issue is here. I'd like fewer bad hockey players in the league in general, but I don't think legislating that is the way to go.