
On the final day before the NHL Trade Deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs got their man.
The team has acquired center Scott Laughton, as well as fourth- and sixth-round picks from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2027 and prospect Nikita Grebenkin.
The Flyers will retain 50 percent of Laughton’s $3 million contract until the end of 2025-26. The first-rounder is top 10 protected.
Piecing it together:
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 7, 2025
To #LeafsForever:
C Scott Laughton
To #LetsGoFlyers:
Cond. 2026 1st Round Pick
Nikita Grebenkin
Laughton entered the week as one of the NHL’s top trade targets. The 30-year-old has 11 goals and 27 points this year, with his full-season pace sitting just below 40. He set a personal-best of 18 goals and 43 points in 2022-23 – the same season in which he helped Canada win gold at the World Championship after registering eight points.
The Oakville native has never been a high-end scoring forward, but his reliability at both ends has allowed him to have a successful career. Still, Laughton has managed to score 106 goals and 265 points in 660 games over 12 NHL seasons, all with the Flyers.
After getting drafted by the Flyers in 2012, Laughton made his NHL debut in 2012-13. From there, he captained Canada at the 2014 World Juniors, with the team falling short of a medal. Laughton eventually became a full-time NHLer in 2015-16 before spending most of the 2016-17 season back with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. After cracking the Flyers again the following year, Laughton has managed to stay up and continue to improve year-over-year.
Known for his versatility and strong two-way play, Laughton has been a decent contributor both offensively and defensively throughout his career. With the center market quieting up as the week wore on, Laughton’s value at both ends of the ice made him one of the more intriguing pickups. Laughton has one more year left on his current contract with a cap hit of $3 million.
Grebenkin is in his first year playing in North America after building a solid resume in the KHL.
“Grebenkin loves having the puck on his stick,” Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis said. “He can be creative in 1-on-1 situations, doing his best to deke guys out and create a chance. He’s better as a setup guy, especially when paired with a speedy, skilled shooter. Grebenkin does an excellent job of cycling the puck. He’s able to shrug off shoves from bigger players, keep the play alive and then generate a scoring chance.”
The Maple Leafs (38-21-3) are second in the Atlantic Division, two points behind the Florida Panthers for first.
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