The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to make headlines in the run-up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. One of the most recent tidbits purports the Leafs have talked turkey with the Colorado Avalanche regarding impending UFA Scott Laughton.
The Avalanche have been looking for a center to bolster their depth. Despite being the best team in the NHL this season, the Avs are still looking to load up. They know that their playoff bracket will take them through Minnesota or Dallas.
That’s why they need to stock up.
While Laughton makes some sense for Colorado, the deal in itself doesn’t offer much hope for the Maple Leafs.
First of all, Laughton won’t get nearly as much as the Maple Leafs initially paid for him. Last season, Toronto went totally off the rails, sending a first-round pick for the 31-year-old. Given the way Laughton’s season has gone, the Leafs are hardly going to recoup that first-round pick.
Secondly, the Avalanche don’t have the wherewithal to pay what the Maple Leafs might want, even if they were willing to overpay.
The Avalanche don’t have picks in the first three rounds in the 2026 NHL Draft. They have a 2027 first and two seconds. Something along those lines might work. But Colorado isn’t desperate. They’re in a good spot, even if their depth isn’t exactly what they would like it to be.
If the Maple Leafs really wanted to trade Laughton, they might be better off waiting a tad longer to see if someone else becomes more desperate.
What Could Maple Leafs Realistically Get for Laughton?
It’s hard being realistic at the NHL trade deadline. But if the goal is to recoup something, anything, to try and right the botched Laughton trade, the Maple Leafs will have to get real about what they could recoup.
The likeliest outcome here would be landing something like a mid-round pick and a mid-range prospect. Alternatively, the best the Maple Leafs could hope for is something like what the Vancouver Canucks got for Kiefer Sherwood. A pair of second-round picks wouldn’t be bad.
That’s the sort of dry powder that could lead to a bigger deal. But first, the Leafs would need to find a trade partner willing enough to pay that price. Given the current market dynamics, that might be easier said than done.
Leafs Might Just Re-Sign Laughton
There is an alternative path. The Maple Leafs could just go ahead and re-sign Scott Laughton. It might not be the most glamorous decision, but it could ultimately work out for the best.
The Leafs don’t have center depth. Without Laughton, the club will be down to Auston Matthews and Nic Roy. John Tavares, as much as he has defied Father Time, shouldn’t be a 2C anymore. It’s time he moved to the wing.
And while Laughton isn’t a 2C, he could, at least, offset the lack of depth down the middle.
Of course, the Maple Leafs won’t be landing a legit 2C anytime soon. But the club won’t be desperate for bodies down the middle next season. A short-term deal on Laughton, something like a two or three-year deal, could be something palatable if the club needed to seriously trade him down the line.
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