Confirmed with Link: Laughton (50% retention), a 4th and a 6th to the Leafs for a conditional 2027 1st round pick and Nikita Grebenkin

[Gabriel426]

Defensively that line would be eaten alive in the playoffs.

That’s the shelter line

 

[PanniniClaus]

The thing that frustrates me about the mention of Leafs pro scouting and Scott Laughton is if you rolled tape on the games where the Leafs were in a winner take all situation, what game scenario would Scott Laughton have helped out re: historical weaknesses? They added a guy who doesn't score to a team that doesn't score in elimination moments.

-2020, Game 5, 3-0 loss. Surely a 3C with minimal offensive output would not have been the difference maker in support of the core.
-2021, Game 7, 3-1 loss. Again, I don't think a non scoring 3C would have helped the offensive short circuit.
-2022, Game 7, 2-1 loss. See above.
-2024, Game 7, 2-1 OT loss.

He appears to be a better fit for a 4th line center... Apparently can't be a matchup guy if he can't handle the defensive side of center. So if he can't score and can't defend he then is down to speed and energy.. Again lends itself to 4th line center or 4th line wing playing against another teams 4th.

 

[BertCorbeau]

I'm fine with giving him some rope and making the adjustment in time for the playoffs.

He's coming from a Flyer's org that has been a bit tire-fire-y in recent memory so no doubt there might be time to work that out of him under Berube.

 

[AuraSphere]

I've got a feeling Grebenkin will be better than Laughton when it's all said and done lol

 

[MarMarSab3]

I've got a feeling Grebenkin will be better than Laughton when it's all said and done lol

He really won't

 

[cyris]

Look, I didn't want Laughton from the beginning, he was pretty low on my wish list. That being said, we need to stop having the patience of a gnat. The guy has played two games here, and it could take some time for him to settle in, learn a new system, and new teammates. We likely won't know his impact on our team for another ten games or so.

People seriously need to give their heads a shake here.

Yep. Didn’t want Laughton. Didn’t like the price we paid for him. And was quite critical of his play in this season running up to the deadline.

But it’s been 2 games with almost no chance to practice. Everyone need to relax. He obviously hasn’t been given the best opportunity to show what he can be here.

 

[Stephen]

Yep. Didn’t want Laughton. Didn’t like the price we paid for him. And was quite critical of his play in this season running up to the deadline.

But it’s been 2 games with almost no chance to practice. Everyone need to relax. He obviously hasn’t been given the best opportunity to show what he can be here.

But what do you expect from him? I think that's the fundamental problem when people talk about patience and take a wait and see attitude. He's clearly an NHL veteran with the ability to play a role in this league, but is a modest 3C upgrade the difference between success and failure in the playoffs?

I think Tre and company misunderstood the assignment. They needed to find a 2C to slot in a 3C roster spot to become a serious contender. They just got a run of the mill 3C instead.

 

[Maple Leaf]

But what do you expect from him? I think that's the fundamental problem when people talk about patience and take a wait and see attitude. He's clearly an NHL veteran with the ability to play a role in this league, but is a modest 3C upgrade the difference between success and failure in the playoffs?

I think Tre and company misunderstood the assignment. They needed to find a 2C to slot in a 3C roster spot to become a serious contender. They just got a run of the mill 3C instead.

Leafs could have just played minten and called it a day

 

[Fogelhund]

They needed to find a 2C to slot in a 3C roster spot to become a serious contender. They just got a run of the mill 3C instead.

Is THAT the recipe to success? You need to have a legitimate 2C, in the 3C spot? Is that the case for all serious contenders?

 

[Stephen]

Is THAT the recipe to success? You need to have a legitimate 2C, in the 3C spot? Is that the case for all serious contenders?

Look at what the Leafs have tried over the years. Matthews, Tavares, Kadri. Matthews, Tavares, O'Reilly.

Or even what Colorado did on the same trade deadline with Coyle and Nelson.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

It's a really bad start, but it's two games. I know we're all used to instant-gratification nowadays but we should give him more time than two games at the end of a long road trip where most of the team looks like crap.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Yep. Didn’t want Laughton. Didn’t like the price we paid for him. And was quite critical of his play in this season running up to the deadline.

But it’s been 2 games with almost no chance to practice. Everyone need to relax. He obviously hasn’t been given the best opportunity to show what he can be here.

I understand looking past PK work, offensive structure, anything systems and chemistry based. But you don’t need to know the system and have chemistry to move your feet all shift, finish your checks, and avoid taking unnecessary OZ penalties.

 

[Fogelhund]

Look at what the Leafs have tried over the years. Matthews, Tavares, Kadri. Matthews, Tavares, O'Reilly.

Or even what Colorado did on the same trade deadline with Coyle and Nelson.

Did that work for the Leafs? How could that have failed if that was THE blueprint for success? I mean, those Leafs teams, with 2C's at 3C... didn't win anything, and yet this is allegedly the way to win? A guaranteed way to win, and the only way?

Is Adam Henrique a legit 2C?
Who was the Habs legit 2C, who played 3C when they made the finals? 36 year old Staal? Kotkaniemi?

 

[Scion]

It's too bad we couldn't have made a move for Coyle. He is exactly who the Leafs needed as a 3C. It's also concerning that our pro scouts can't seem to figure out the 3C position. It seems like they have been trying and failing with tweeners there for years (Kerfoot, Jarnkrok, Domi, Holmberg and now Laughton).

 

[arso40]

It's too bad we couldn't have made a move for Coyle. He is exactly who the Leafs needed as a 3C. It's also concerning that our pro scouts can't seem to figure out the 3C position. It seems like they have been trying and failing with tweeners there for years (Kerfoot, Jarnkrok, Domi, Holmberg and now Laughton).

Wouldn’t call holmberg a tweener Hes a heavier player than the rest maybe vanilla is the word your looking for

 

[Gabriel426]

But what do you expect from him? I think that's the fundamental problem when people talk about patience and take a wait and see attitude. He's clearly an NHL veteran with the ability to play a role in this league, but is a modest 3C upgrade the difference between success and failure in the playoffs?

I think Tre and company misunderstood the assignment. They needed to find a 2C to slot in a 3C roster spot to become a serious contender. They just got a run of the mill 3C instead.

Expectations should be someone who is strong in the Dzone and hard to play against.
Occasionally can chip in with offence.

Of all the Cs traded at TDL, I would only want Coyle over Laughton. And I think Tre actually asked for Coyle but just couldn’t agree with retention and somehow ended up with Carlo.

With this train of thought, Tre planned big.
He could had gotten Rantanen(for MM straight up, diff in caphit is 1.7mil, Coyle and Carlo. While Cowan(another top prospect) and Kampf-2.5mil will probably go the other way to Bruins.
When you add the 1.7mil diff between Ranta and MM, 2.5mil for Kampf and the 1.5mil for Laughton, that’s 5.7mil, which can cover Coyle’s salary.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

The frustrating part is that he’s not doing what he was advertised to do. Not great defensively, not great offensively, but a hard nosed player that wouldn’t be easy to play against. So in his first 2 games, he’s had one hit against Colorado, and one hit against Utah. He’s been slow to react, lost battles, and showed a lack of effort. I don’t like what I’ve seen.

 

[seanlinden]

I agree.

My thought is in order to be a real championship contender, we actually needed a 2C slotted in a 3C position, not just any 3C to fill that spot.

This was basically the 2023 trade deadline strategy when Toronto went out and got ROR so they had the option to go with Matthews-Tavares-O'Reilly-Kerfoot-Kampf, with the possibility of shifting JT to the wing, or going back even further, when we had Matthews-Tavares-Kadri.

This was just a trade for the sake of pleasing the room.

Honestly, I think you hit the nail on the head here with what the Leafs need (a #2C that is playing in the #3 role like Kadri did and O'Reilly should have).

That being said, you look at Florida last year.... Anton Lundell was their 3rd line C. He had a great playoff, but I'm not sure he was better last than than Laughton is today.

Vegas 3rd line C was William Karlsson. Yeah, he's certainly better than Laughton, but Vegas was a much more evenly spread team.

Colorado's 3rd line Centre was JT Compher, again, not really a huge difference from Scott Laughton.

Even rewinding back to Yanni Gourde's primetime in Tampa, he paced just over 50 points.

Don't get me wrong, I'm on board with the concept of trading for Laughton, and I think he's a guy that might be better in the playoffs than he is in the regular season. I also see him & Domi being good guys to get under the skin of opponents and chip in with an occasional back-breaking goal.... but giving up the quality of assets we did is problematic.

 

[seanlinden]

It's too bad we couldn't have made a move for Coyle. He is exactly who the Leafs needed as a 3C. It's also concerning that our pro scouts can't seem to figure out the 3C position. It seems like they have been trying and failing with tweeners there for years (Kerfoot, Jarnkrok, Domi, Holmberg and now Laughton).

Yeah, Coyle would have been a really ideal acquisition (and as other posters have mentioned, probably the only "better" centre for us that got traded on deadline day).

That being said, I don't think it's just a cap-issue, but rather, an asset issue.

The B's got Casey Mittelstadt in the deal. He's 26 years old, a former 8th overall pick, who has a 59 point season under his belt. This is a team looking to retool on the fly, not enter a prolonged rebuild, and Mittelstadt will come in as an immediate top 6 centre for them. The trio of Zacha-Mittelstadt-Lindholm isn't the most exciting trio out there, but it's guys that are the right age (26, 27, and 30) and who objectively belong in a top 6. Having 3 "2nd line centres" seems like very much a Boston thing to do.

The B's couldn't retain salary on Coyle, and getting 3rd party retention when the guy has term left is very difficult.

Even if you're able to find 3rd party reention at 50%.... and you look at it as Coyle & Dewar ($3.8m) vs "Laughton & Kampf" ($3.9m).. Sure, Coyle & Dewar is probably who you take, but it's going to cost you a ton more in assets that you don't have.

Unless Coyle is going to be a 3rd line centre with Marner or Nylander on the wing, it might also be a somewhat pointless addition.

 

[cyris]

But what do you expect from him? I think that's the fundamental problem when people talk about patience and take a wait and see attitude. He's clearly an NHL veteran with the ability to play a role in this league, but is a modest 3C upgrade the difference between success and failure in the playoffs?

I think Tre and company misunderstood the assignment. They needed to find a 2C to slot in a 3C roster spot to become a serious contender. They just got a run of the mill 3C instead.

I don’t really disagree. And as I said I didn’t want him and I think they overpaid.

I just think that now that he is here we need to give him a chance before we pile on.