Maple Leafs Send Statement: In with Scott Laughton and Bradon Carlo, On with the Push Toward Playoffs

With the acquisition of Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers and Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs have made one bold statement ahead of the NHL trade deadline: all bets are off and they are going for deep playoff contention. General Manager Brad Treliving has made it very clear he wants the team to be all in. The price was some picks and prospects, but the acquisitions will provide some extra help up front and on the back end. Reinforcements could not have arrived at a better time as the Leafs get ready for an all-important stretch.

Scott Laughton addresses a long-standing gap in the Maple Leafs' third-line center position. An unrelenting competitor with a solid two-way game, Laughton has scored 11 goals and added 27 points in 60 games this season. His aggressive forechecking, responsible defensive play, and penalty-killing prowess make him an indispensable asset in Toronto's depth. With Philadelphia picking up half of his salary, this deal is an even bigger windfall for the Leafs.

Brandon Carlo lends an equally necessary defensive edge on the back end. The 28-year-old right-shot defender has spent his entire career with the Boston Bruins and is known for shot-blocking and an effective stay-at-home game. Now that Boston is retaining 15% of his salary, Carlo's cap hit is actually $3.5 million, which means the Leafs picked up a solid but not stellar player on a very reasonable salary. In addition, to make room for this new acquisition, Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar were moved in a separate deal to Pittsburgh.


The Maple Leafs have spoken loud and clear—they will not wait for success in the future and will try to win in the present. This is a gamble that may cost them young assets now, but the experience and depth that Laughton and Carlo will add could be just what Toronto has been looking for.
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The competition in the Atlantic Division will be fierce, and these additions may be what Toronto needs for its road to the Stanley Cup. Everybody's eyes will be on how these players integrate into the lineup during the games versus the Colorado Avalanche for their debuts as Maple Leafs and how their inclusion would impact Toronto's championship aspirations.