The NHL trade deadline is on March 7th this year and it’s going to be here before we know it.
Scott Laughton has long been in trade rumors even after signing a five-year extension back in 2021. The veteran’s game on the ice has declined a bit, but he has the makings of everything a playoff team wants in a bottom-six forward.
Laughton is from the Greater Toronto Area and his hometown Maple Leafs are one of the teams reportedly checking in on him.
TSN’s Darren Dreger brought up Laughton’s name on Tuesday night’s edition of Insider Trading when talking about centers that the Leafs are looking at this trade season.
“I would say (Elias) Pettersson, (J.T.) Miller, Mika Zibanejad, maybe Dylan Cozens, and the Maple Leafs are not in that category. Brock Nelson is interesting from the New York Islanders, there’s a lot of teams that have interest in him,” Dreger said. “So I think the group that the Toronto Maple Leafs have identified is a little bit more diverse. I think you’re looking at Ryan Strome, maybe Ryan O’Reilly; how about a return there from Nashville?”
Of course, Laughton isn’t quite on the level of the guys Dreger first mentioned, but he’s an interesting target as we move down the board.
“Scott Laughton is out there again but the Flyers want a first-round draft pick in return so maybe that’s a stretch,” Dreger continued. “Mikael Granlund’s name is out there, Yanni Gourde, Nick Bjugstad. I’ll tell you this, Brad Treliving’s whiteboard is probably jammed with more affordable centers.”
Laughton definitely fits into that category, but as Dreger noted, the price of a first-round pick may have the Leafs looking more at those latter three names. It doesn’t help that the Leafs already traded their first-round pick in the upcoming draft, but they do still have their firsts in 2026 and 2027.
It’s also a bit odd to hear Laughton listed as a center since he hasn’t really played down the middle this season, instead sliding over to the left wing on whatever line he’s on. He may still be able to play center in a different system, and the Leafs already have some decent depth with Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Max Domi, and David Kampf.
We’ve heard Laughton’s name in rumors ever since Danny Briere took over as general manager and it likely won’t stop until he’s either traded or signs another extension. A first-round pick would be an overpay for Laughton at this point, but a desperate team could pay up if they’re looking for a versatile veteran.
The Maple Leafs got an up-close look at Laughton over the past few days with the home-and-home against the Flyers. Laughton has 22 points in 41 games this season, including a goal on Sunday night in Toronto.
