The Toronto Maple Leafs entered the 2025-26 season with the expectation of being one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Yet, they have instead performed far below expectations, as they currently have a 27-24-9 record and are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings with 63 points. With this, they are currently eight points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Maple Leafs are only heading in the wrong direction as the season carries on, too. The Original Six club has lost each of their last three games and seven out of their last 10 contests. With this, the Maple Leafs’ playoff hopes are continuing to drop, and they are now standing out as clear sellers for the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
The Colorado Avalanche, on the other hand, are gearing up to be big buyers at the 2026 NHL trade deadline. The Avalanche are currently at the top of the NHL standings with a 39-10-9 record and 87 points. Thus, they could be a team that looks to do business with the selling Maple Leafs.
With the Avalanche needing a boost in their bottom six, one Maple Leafs player who they should strongly pursue is center Scott Laughton. Because of this, we here at Heavy Sports have a trade pitch that would have the Maple Leafs send Laughton to the Avalanche in a trade deadline swap.
Avalanche Get:
- Scott Laughton
Maple Leafs Get:
- 2027 Second-Round Pick
- 2026 Fourth-Round Pick
Maple Leafs’ Scott Laughton Has Been Linked to Avalanche
During a recent appearance on TNT, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Avalanche are one team that has interest in acquiring Laughton from the Maple Leafs.
“One of the centers I’ve heard could end up in Colorado is Scott Laughton,” Friedman said. “I think he would be a tremendous fit, and he would be more of a rental.”
Hearing that the Avalanche are interested in making a move for Laughton is not surprising in the slightest. It is no secret that they could use another solid center in their bottom six, and bringing in Laughton would provide them with just that. In addition, the Maple Leafs forward would give them another excellent option to work with on their penalty kill due to his strong defensive play.
Laughton is simply the kind of player that a top contender like the Avalanche should be targeting. This is because he is strong defensively, plays a heavy game, and is well-known for his leadership. Furthermore, while he has struggled offensively this season with the Maple Leafs, he has shown many times in the past that he can provide decent secondary offensive production when playing at his best. That is also something the Avalanche could use more of.
Maple Leafs’ Laughton Will Be a Very Popular Target
With Laughton in the final year of his five-year, $15 million contract and being a player built for the playoffs, he is going to generate interest from several teams. A few clubs that could make sense as landing spots for the gritty forward besides the Avalanche include the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Avalanche ends up being the team that wins the Laughton sweepstakes from here.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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