Scott Laughton trade: 3 reasons why Maple Leafs made the right move trading for veteran forward from Philadelphia Flyers

Scott Laughton is finally a Toronto Maple Leaf. The 30-year-old centerman was traded from Philadelphia to Toronto along with a fourth and sixth-round draft pick in exchange for Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-round pick.

As a native of Oakville, Ontario, Laughton has long been linked to his hometown Maple Leafs, and his childhood dream has now become reality. Here are the full details of the deal courtesy of TSN on X (formerly Twitter).

Laughton is having another solid season with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 60 games played thus far. He's spent his entire career to date with the Flyers, predominantly in a third-line center role. That is likely where he'll slot in on the depth chart in Toronto, who's been seeking someone to man the middle behind stars Auston Matthews and John Tavares.

This allows Max Domi to shift to the wing and provides an extra layer of depth to the Maple Leafs forward group.

With division rivals Florida, and Tampa Bay making massive moves to load up for the playoffs, it was Toronto's turn to add to their roster and they did just that. We'll see what else general manager Brad Treliving could have up his sleeve with an hour left until the NHL trade deadline.

Let's dive into three reasons why the acquisition of Scott Laughton was a good move by general manager Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

3 Reasons why acquiring Scott Laughton was a good move for the Toronto Maple Leafs

#1. Gritty and dependable third-line center

Scott Laughton fits exactly what Toronto needed. He provides a combination of grit, dependability, and skill that you'd want from a third-line center. The physicality ramps up in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Laughton can thrive in that style of game.

He's registered over 100 hits in eight consecutive seasons, proving to be a difficult player to play against. Not to mention he's a capable point producer, on pace to rack up his fifth season with 30 or more points in the last seven years. Add on top his ability in the faceoff dot and you have a big upgrade in the 3C spot.

#2. Very affordable salary with retention

With 50% of Laughton's contract being retained, the Maple Leafs have him on a bargain of a deal. Laughton is in the fourth season of a five-year, $15 million contract. This has him at a $3 million salary per year, so Toronto is only taking a $1.5 million cap hit by acquiring him with half retention.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are always tight against the cap. Paying multiple star players over $10 million will do that to you. Any chance they can add a player at a low price that fits under the salary cap, they have to consider it. Scott Laughton is certainly worth more than the $1.5 million average annual value Toronto will be paying for.

#3. Term remaining on contract

Lastly, he's not a rental. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in win-now mode not just this season, but for the next several years to come. As long as Auston Matthews and William Nylander are healthy and in their prime, Toronto will be competing to break the curse and make a run for the Stanley Cup.

Scott Laughton is under contract for the rest of this season and next, a very valuable aspect of this trade. As mentioned in reason number two, the Maple Leafs are a team that spends to the cap, so having a plug-and-play forward under contract for another full season at $1.5 million is extremely beneficial.