The Toronto Maple Leafs were looking to go on a deep playoff run last season and were active at the trade deadline, but one trade looks to be a major miss.
Toronto needed to add another center, and the Maple Leafs paid a hefty price to acquire Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Maple Leafs acquired Laughton, with 50% of his salary retained, a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, and a sixth-round pick in the 2027 draft for prospect Nikita Grebenkin and a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
It was a steep price to pay, but the Maple Leafs felt like it was worth it. However, Laughton struggled down the stretch for Toronto and was relegated to the fourth line. He didn’t produce much offensively as he recorded 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points in 20 regular-season games, and had just 2 assists in 13 playoff games.
After the disappointing tenure with Toronto, Laughton had hopes of working his way up the lineup and producing more offense. However, he once again struggled in camp and was projected to be the team’s fourth-line center to open the season.
But in the penultimate preseason game, Laughton suffered an injury and is now considered week-to-week. Even when he returns, he will be on the fourth line, so trading a top prospect and a first-round pick is a major whiff.
To make matters worse, Grebenkin has been excellent in camp with the Flyers. The Russian is currently projected to be on the top line. All summer, the Maple Leafs were looking for a top-line, and it appears they traded one away for a fourth-line center.
If Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving could have a do-over, there’s no question he would make the deal.
Laughton Struggled With Maple Leafs
Toronto made a bold move to acquire Laughton at the deadline, but it didn’t pan out.
Laughton struggled with the Maple Leafs and admitted it was frustrating to play that badly.
“I wasn’t good enough last year. That’s the bottom line,” Laughton said recently. “It was hard. The hardest part was, for sure, leaving Philly. You grew up there, and we had our kid there, and everything like that. You build something there, and I think you’re so ingrained in being a Flyer. So, to come here was a different feeling.”
Laughton had hoped to get off to a fast start with the Maple Leafs, but that won’t be the case due to the injury.
Once Laughton returns from the injury, he likely will be behind the eight ball, and if he doesn’t produce, the trade with the Flyers will only look worse.
Flyers Coach Pleased With Grebenkin
Not only did the Maple Leafs trade a first-round pick for Laughton, but the team also included Grebenkin.
The Russian got into games last season with the Maple Leafs and looked promising. As he has impressed at Flyers camp, coach Rick Tocchet has praised him and believes he’s going to be a force in the NHL.
“He made that goal, and he’s a sticky guy. He comes up with loose pucks, support. You always need those corner guys that could come up with pucks,” Tocchet said of Grebenkin after a preseason game. “If we can continue to teach him to play that way, he can be a real force out there. I think in the first period, he almost split the D. That’s good stuff. We want that from him, so I hope he continues to do that.”
Grebenkin was a fifth-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2022.
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