As the dust settles on the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the chatter and speculation surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs has not diminished. If anything, it’s only picking up.
Part of that chatter is the rationale behind trading Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann.
Heading into the deadline, the odds of moving both players were 50/50. The reason for that situation was the fact that the club attempted to negotiate contract extensions with both players. However, those talks didn’t get very far. As a result, the Leafs pulled the trigger and jettisoned both players to West Coast teams.
Notwithstanding, insider David Pagnotta shed some light on the Leafs’ reasoning in trading Laughton and McMann. It wasn’t that the impending UFAs were part of Toronto’s plans. The rationale was that keeping them would become needlessly onerous.
“Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton were asking for significant raises, which shifted Toronto’s focus to trading both pending UFAs. The Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, and Columbus Blue Jackets were among the teams in the mix for McMann before he was dealt to the Kraken, while Tampa Bay was one of the clubs eyeing Laughton.”
The prevailing chatter leading up to the deadline suggested that McMann wanted a deal similar to the one the San Jose Sharks gave Kiefer Sherwood. However, that same chatter posited that the Leafs were reluctant to give McMann five years at $5 million-plus.
As for Laughton, it’s unclear what sort of deal he was looking for. His official cap hit is $3 million AAV. A “significant” raise would mean something similar to what McMann was looking for. The Leafs, it seems, have finally figured out that there are better ways to allocate cap hits, particularly for bottom-six forwards.
McMann, Laughton will face tough times getting paid on free-agent market
McMann and Laughton would do well to enter the free-agent market this season. The lack of big names will make it easier for them to secure contracts. However, it’s unlikely they’ll cash in big time. Their best chances to get paid will be with their new clubs.
For McMann, the best shot he has to secure the contract he wants is to wow the socks off the Kraken. In that case, the club could be willing to give him a long-term extension.
The same goes for Laughton. If he can convince the Kings he’s a long-term solution to their depth issues, especially with the retirement of Anze Kopitar, that situation could lead to a big payday.
However, both the Kraken and Kings have been big-game hunting all season. So, both clubs may be wary of extending the former Maple Leafs forwards.
If McMann and Laughton hit the open market, they’ll have a tough time cashing in. They may linger into the summer, hoping that a desperate club will overpay for them. But the likeliest outcome could be a short-term deal with their current clubs in hopes of leading to one last major payday.
I could be wrong. Teams may look at the lack of major names in free agency and overpay for both McMann and Laughton. But that’s something that remains to be seen.