Maple Leafs and Scott Laughton have mutual extension interest, now comes the hard part
Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Per TSN"s Darren Dreger, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Scott Laughton would like to keep their relationship intact, but contract talks haven't hit the next level yet.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in business after their Olympic break and with a trade deadline staring them in the face, there are several players they could end up dealing with as a way to get them back some much needed draft capital.
One of those players is Scott Laughton, who was acquired at last year's deadline and has certainly played himself into trade talks not because he hasn't been good -- but because he can bring back a decent haul.
He fits in quite well with the culture though and has been a key leader in the locker room while also mentoring guys like Easton Cowan. Laughton works hard on and off the ice, and the Maple Leafs would love to have him around longer.
Darren Dreger reports Leafs and Laughton not close to extension
Though with him coming into free agency at the end of the season, Toronto has to act quickly if they want to re-sign him and according to a new report -- they aren't too close yet.
TSN's Darren Dreger reported that the Maple Leafs and Laughton would like to come to terms, but those extension talks haven't really passed the preliminary stage with no progress as of yet:
I do know that there is a mutual interest in exploring what it's gonna take to get an extension done, but...I just don't think that they're that far down the road on that yet.
Laughton was acquired last season at the deadline for a first-round pick and prospect Nikita Grebenkin while shipping Laughton and two low-end picks to the Maple Leafs.
He took time to get acclimated but this season he's shown exactly why Toronto coveted him so much. He's been elite defensively, wins a ton of face-offs, is gritty and physical and has shown a bit of a scoring touch.
Couple that with a pretty cheap deal and you get a player who fits perfectly in a bottom-six role, and re-signing him on a hometown discount may be a more feasible option than say Bobby McMann.
Laughton, 31, has 11 points in 39 games (8 goals, 3 assists) while adding a minus-1, 71 hits and winning a blistering 56.5% of his face-offs including a game where he went nearly perfect.
That's the type of bottom-six center Toronto has needed and with Laughton's time ticking, it would behoove them to move faster than not if they want to keep him.
The only question is, can they settle on a price before it's too late?
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 24|648 ANSWERS Maple Leafs and Scott Laughton have mutual extension interest, now comes the hard part Do you believe the Maple Leafs will sign Scott Laughton? | ||
| Yes | 361 | 55.7 % |
| No | 287 | 44.3 % |
| List of polls | ||