Toronto Maple Leafs forward Scott Laughton will miss the team's 2025-26 regular-season opener after suffering a lower-body injury in a 3-1 preseason loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night, the team announced. Laughton is considered week-to-week and could begin the campaign on injured reserve.
The 31-year-old is entering his first full season in Ontario after coming over in a trade deadline swap with the Philadelphia Flyers. Laughton had spent his entire career in Philly after being selected 20th overall by the team in the 2012 NHL Draft.
The Oakville, Ontario native struggled mightily in Toronto in 2024-25 after the trade, managing just four points in 20 regular-season games before adding two more in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff contests. That's after he had scored 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games with the Flyers before the trade.
Laughton was excellent for the Maple Leafs in the preseason, scoring two goals and adding two assists in three games. Although he only averaged 13:30 per game with Toronto last year — which was much lower than he was averaging with the Flyers — it's likely that number was going to pick up in 2025-26.
Instead, his debut will have to wait after the disappointing update.
Who will replace Scott Laughton as Leafs' 4C?
With Nicolas Roy coming to town as part of the sign-and-trade that sent Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights, he projects as Toronto's third-line center.
Laughton slotted in primarily as the fourth-line center and is projected to do so again in 2025-26 when healthy. In his absence, David Kampf could get a shot to play that position, while OHL superstar Easton Cowan looks primed to make the team out of training camp.
Laughton was playing with Steven Lorentz and Cowan for much of the preseason, and those two players figure to round out the winger slots on the fourth line on opening night.
Kampf practiced as Toronto's 4C on Friday, meaning he probably has the inside track to begin the season there with Lorentz and Cowan. There is some competition, though, with Calle Jarnkrok, Michael Pezzetta and Nicholas Robertson all fighting for spots.
The third line seems set in stone, with Roy centering offseason acquisitions Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua. The top-six is also solidified with Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, Max Domi and Bobby McMann.
All of Jarnkrok, Pezzetta and Robertson all waiver wire eligible, and one likely will be on the wire before opening night next week. Robertson is on a one-year deal after managing 22 points in 69 games last year, while Jarnkrok missed all but 19 games in 2024-25. Pezzetta is the most likely player to get waived, although he brings a level of toughness to the roster after the departure of Ryan Reaves.
It'll be interesting to see what the bottom-six looks like when the Leafs welcome the Montreal Canadiens to Scotiabank Arena for each team's regular-season opener on October 8.
