Scott Laughton seeks redemption with Maple Leafs after rocky debut
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a significant investment when they traded for Scott Laughton during last season’s trade deadline, but the results have yet to match the expectations. Acquiring Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers came at a considerable cost, as the Maple Leafs relinquished a first-round pick along with promising prospect Nikita Grebenkin. Unfortunately, Laughton’s performance post-trade fell short; he managed just 2 goals and 2 assists over 20 regular-season games with Toronto.
His struggles continued into the playoffs, where he recorded a disheartening three points (0 goals, 3 assists) in 13 games. For Laughton, the disappointing statistics reflected a season that didn’t meet his standards. “I wasn’t good enough last year. That’s the bottom line,” he admitted candidly. “It was hard. The hardest part was, for sure, leaving Philly. You grew up there, and we had our kid there, and everything like that. You build something there, and I think you’re so ingrained in being a Flyer. So, to come here was a different feeling.”
Adjusting to a new environment
Laughton described the transition to Toronto as challenging, noting that he often felt out of place. “Your play has got to speak for itself. It was tough for me at the start, when I was trying to find my footing,” he reflected. “I was in a little bit of a shell and just a little bit stuck.” The pressure to make an immediate impact weighed heavily on him, and he struggled to assert himself within the locker room dynamics.
With a full training camp now behind him, Laughton is optimistic about turning things around this season. He enters the final year of his five-year, $15 million contract, but he insists that thoughts of free agency are not on his mind. “I actually haven’t thought about it,” he said. “You gotta be good and play to your potential. And whatever happens, happens. I’ve never hit free agency, so I don’t even know the feeling. So, I haven’t even thought that far ahead. I just want to have a good start for our group and contribute where I can.”
The road ahead
If Laughton can recapture his form and improve his offensive output, he is likely to attract interest as a valuable middle-six center capable of providing scoring depth. However, his primary focus remains on helping the Maple Leafs achieve success.
Despite Laughton’s self-assessment, his coach, Craig Berube, sees the situation differently. Berube believes that acclimatizing to a new team often takes time, emphasizing that Laughton eventually found his groove. “It took him a bit to get comfortable with the situation,” Berube explained on the Nasty Knuckles Podcast. “That is always normal with trades for a lot of players. So once he got comfortable, then he got some chemistry with some players, and then got his role down a bit, he was really good for us.”
Berube praised Laughton’s contributions, particularly in terms of his character and leadership within the team. “Laughts is a good guy in the locker room and a character guy,” he noted. “That checking line, the gamesmanship he plays with, penalty killing and stuff like that. So I thought they were really good for us. He was really good for us and I thought they did a good job.”
As the Maple Leafs gear up for their season opener against the Montreal Canadiens on October 8, all eyes will be on Laughton as he aims to redefine his role and make a lasting impact in Toronto.
