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The Toronto Maple Leafs made two big deals before the NHL trade deadline. They picked up a much-needed righty defenseman in Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins. They also made a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers for center Scott Laughton. They paid a first-round pick and more to land the Ontario native. Was that too much? Let's find out in our Maple Leafs-Flyers Scott Laughton trade grades.
Laughton was one of the top centers available at the NHL trade deadline. The sweepstakes were certainly on once the Colorado Avalanche took Brock Nelson off the market, leaving Laughton as the best available center. Just before the horn sounded at 3:00 p.m., the Maple Leafs sent their 2027 first-round pick and prospect Nikita Grebenkin.
Did the Flyers make the most of this trade deadline? Did the Maple Leafs overpay? Let's find out in our trade grades.
Maple Leafs secure their biggest need
There is no way to discuss this trade from a Toronto perspective without discussing the deadline as a whole. Carlo cost them another first-rounder and Fraiser Minten, who was one of their top prospects. In those two moves, general manager Brad Treliving mortgaged the future to fill their biggest needs.
Laughton is a depth center who can kill penalties and score a little. But the Maple Leafs don't need scoring, they need better defense and special teams. Plus, Laughton is under contract through next season and the Flyers retained half his salary. So he will be on Toronto's cap sheet for next season as well for $1.5 million.
Grebenkin has 21 points through 39 games this season in the AHL, a solid performance in his first North American season. He is under the radar partially because his Russian heritage has prevented him from playing in the World Junior Championships. But the Maple Leafs thought they could live without him in their pipeline.
Maple Leafs grade; B+
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Flyers take advantage of a great contract
This is Laughton's fourth year on his five-year, $15 million deal and he has lived up to every dollar. While the scoring has never been there, his role is important on Cup contenders and that is what the Maple Leafs are. The Flyers are not contending for a playoff spot, let alone a title, so trading him now makes a lot of sense.
Picking up a first-round pick in a non-2025 draft will help the Flyers rebuild tremendously. They already have three first-rounders for this summer's draft, so spreading the wealth to 2027 is smart. It helps that Toronto came into the day without their 2025 pick, trading it to the Blackhawks at the 2023 trade deadline.
Grebenkin will be a low-risk, high-reward project for their AHL coaching staff. He is just 21 years old, so he is far from a lost cause. But Philly has a stocked pipeline, led by Calder Trophy candidate Matvei Michkov, who is also Russian. If they can turn him into a solid middle-six player, it will be well worth the trade before even considering the pick.
General manager Daniel Briere also utilized his final salary retention space perfectly in this deal. Laughton at $1.5 million is a heck of a bargain and the retention won't hurt them too much with the NHL's salary cap increasing this year. The Flyers did well here and could do more in the summer to help their rebuild take the next step.
Flyers grade: A-
