Bolts lurking for OEL and Laughton in Maple Leafs trade deal
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking at Toronto Maple Leafs Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Scott Laughton, per a new report from David Pagnotta that shows the Atlantic Division teams are working hard towards a deal on deadline day.
Ahead of the closing hours of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs have come into the deadline day as forced to be sellers following six consecutive losses.
Having sat out defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Scott Laughton for the Leafs last two games, a new report from David Pagnotta of 'The Fourth Period' shares a new contender for both players, the Tampa Bay Ligjtning.
Pagnotta reports that the Lightning have kicked the gears on both Ekman-Larsson and Laughton, unknown if a deal with both are possible, or if they have been discussed separately.
Toronto is hoping to net a first round pick for Ekman-Larsson, and both players in a deal may guarantee such, but make a trade much more interesting.
OEL & Laughton double deal to Tampa Bay could ensure first for Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs would almost surely get a first round pick for a deal that includes both of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Scott Laughton, and perhaps a tad more.
Ekman-Larsson ($3.5M) and Laughton ($1.5M) make a combined $5M, and Tampa, with $3M in deadline cap space have the room for both, but there is a flaw.
Most of Tampa's money is tied up in their stars, and they'd need to send a player back in the $2-3M range to acquire both players, with the one logical return in Nick Paul currently injured.
That makes it more likely that a deal between Tampa Bay and Toronto is for one of Ekman-Larsson or Laughton, not both, but Toronto has the benefit of retention to still net a high pick.
In terms of prospects, Tampa has SM-Liiga leading scorer, 20-year-old Benjamin Rautinainen, who has experience with Toronto, having attended Leafs development camp back in 2023 after going undrafted.
He has incredible vision, loves to pass the puck, is fairly big at 6'0, and can be a versatile forward with the ability to play both center and the wing and is still only 20 years old.
More realistically, most of Tampa's top prospects are forwards. One name that makes sense is Ethan Gauthier, the right winger having a possible middle-six projection.
The Lightning, like Toronto don't have a deep prospect pool, but have interesting options that could make them suitable trade partners with the Leafs and with the Maple Leafs in desperation mode, it could be enough of an interesting proposition to push them into a deal.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 6|632 ANSWERS Bolts lurking for OEL and Laughton in Maple Leafs trade deal Would Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Tampa for a first round pick be fair? | ||
| Yes | 467 | 73.9 % |
| No | 165 | 26.1 % |
| List of polls | ||