Maple Leafs and Flyers Trade Could Already Be Seen as a Disappointment

Last season, the Maple Leafs needed to add a 3C to their ranks and were linked to several names this past deadline, but ultimately settled on Philadelphia Flyers center Scott Laughton.

It was seen as a bit of a perplexing deal at the time, not because of the type of player Laughton is; he fits perfect in a Craig Berube system, but the fact they gave up a king's ransom for him.

Toronto gave up prospect Nikita Grebenkin (already a fan favorite) as well as a first-round pick to grab Laughton as well as some additional smaller picks. It is a definite overpayment considering that Laughton had a bit of a tough time adjusting to the Leafs.

In the 20 games since coming over, Laughton had four points (2 goals, 2 assists) but only added two assists in 13 playoff contests.

It was a trade that had an air of desperation to it, and it felt like Brad Treliving threw a dart at a bunch of selections and it landed on the former Flyer. Toronto needed to add something and they jumped the gun a bit.

There was a lot of pressure on Laughton to perform right away, but seemed to float between the third and fourth lines and never had a true solid spot where he could flourish. He was asked to do a lot in a short time, and it takes a certain type of player to be able to come in right away and make an impact.

Looking at the obvious, if Grebenkin turns out to be a solid top-nine power forward who can add energy, physicality and some offense to a young Flyers team, there's no doubt he'll be a mainstay for years.

Plus, while it is still two years away, there's always the chance the Flyers end up getting a pick in the top-10 in 2027, but thankfully if they do it'll become a 2028 first rounder.

But with the Leafs' luck as of late, the Flyers will be bad enough to get a solid pick, but not so bad as to get a top-10 selection; the Leafs lose out again on picking in the first round.

The hope is that a full year under Berube is going to benefit Laughton as he finds a more solidified role on the fourth line now that Nic Roy is in town. If he can find some chemistry with Steven Lorentz and potentially Easton Cowan; he could be a sneaky bottom-line two-way player.

The good thing is that Laughton isn't a long-term commitment, and if he really doesn't end up working in the system, the team can cut ties although it doesn't make the trade look good whatsoever but the fan backlash might be even louder.

But for now, it seems like Toronto paid too much out of desperation, and although desperate times call for desperate measures; this might have jumped the shark a bit too far.