Brayden Schenn
Brayden Schenn's name has been floating around the Toronto media for weeks now. I think a lot of it has to do with him being a former player of Berube's in St. Louis with the Blues. Schenn is the oldest guy on my list at 33 years old, but he could be the centerman the Leafs are seeking.
He is 6'1, 200 Lbs, and is a former first-round pick (5th overall) of the Los Angeles Kings. Schenn helped Berube and the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019.
Schenn has 12 goals and 26 assists for 38 points in 62 games this season. He is averaging 17:33 minutes of ice time and fits Berube's need for a physical forward. Schenn lives up to the Saskatchewan reputation of hard-hitting players. He has 156 hits so far this season, so he could make the Leafs harder to play against, especially in the playoffs.
The cost of acquiring Schenn wouldn't be as drastic as acquiring Laughton, but the Leafs would need to offload a few roster players to make the salary cap situation work. Max Domi ($3.75 million) plus David Kampf ($2.4 million) would be $6.15 million that will need to go. The Leafs would need to sweeten their offer with picks or B-level prospects.
Schenn has scored at a rate between Domi and Pacioretty while playing poor defensively. It's clear that he has declined and isn't the same player whose reputation is being bandied about in trade talks.
Schenn is under contract until the end of the 2027-28 season at $6.5 million per season. He will be 36 when his contract is finished. The Leafs would have to hope his production doesn't dip too much as he is entering the tail-end of his career.