Top 3 Centres Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade For

No. 2: Scott Laughton

One name that is continuing to draw a lot of interest with the Toronto Maple Leafs is Scott Laughton. The Oakville, ON native is a much more affordable player than Reinhart, making only $2.3M and is a pending UFA.

Whether you re-sign Laughton or not, that shouldn’t matter with this acquisition. Laughton isn’t the flashiest name or the most offensively skilled player, but he’s a player that could be a huge help in the playoffs.

Similar to how the Tampa Bay Lightning paid a big price for Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman last year, Laughton could be that same type of player that the Leafs go all-in for. Laughton is clearly a third-line centre, but he brings an energy and physicality to the game that Alex Kerfoot doesn’t.

Laughton is an effective player on both sides of the ice, however his best skillset is his defensive ability. During his time with the Philadelphia Flyers, he’s been a great penalty-killer, which is a huge asset, especially in the playoffs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs could obviously use more offense, but they’d be better suited at finding a player who is defensively responsible, can win draws and hit. And that’s exactly what Laughton would bring.