The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally gotten their third line center that they desperately needed. Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving pulled off an interesting trade with the Philadelphia Flyers which saw them acquire Scott Laughton and picks in exchange for Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 1st round pick.
Here are the full details of the trade between the Maple Leafs and Flyers:
This move allows the Maple Leafs to not only add another piece before the 3:00 p.m. EST trade deadline but also keep both Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten to help with the future of the team.
Maple Leafs Get Third-Line Center
Maple Leafs Grade: A-
Laughton is exactly the type of player the Maple Leafs needed. He is a very good defensive centerman who can take some pressure off both Auston Matthews and John Tavares. That will have a huge impact on the roster down the stretch and into the playoffs when the game tightens and becomes more defensive.
Another key part of this trade is that Laughton’s $3 million cap hit is retained at 50%, bringing his cap hit down to $1.5 million for the rest of this season and next season. Treliving was able to work that key detail into the deal, which will be huge for the team’s salary cap if they want to add anything else at the deadline and for next season.
Related: Maple Leafs Acquire Scott Laughton From the Philadelphia Flyers
Laughton not only strengthens the team defensively, but he can also contribute offensively—something the Maple Leafs need from their depth players. So far, he has 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 60 games. In previous years, he has hit the 40-point mark, and if he can reach even 35 points at a $1.5 million cap hit, this deal is a steal for Toronto. Along with Laughton, the Maple Leafs also added more draft capital, acquiring a fourth- and sixth-round pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft.
Flyers Get Decent Return
Flyers Grade: B+
The Flyers finally pulled off the long-rumoured Laughton trade. He had been in trade discussions for the past few seasons, and now he has finally been moved. Trading a leader from your locker room is never easy, especially for a Flyers team in the middle of a rebuild. However, getting back a solid depth energy player in Grebenkin and a first-round pick helps ease that loss.
Grebenkin should fit well with his new team for years to come. As mentioned before, he plays with energy, throws his body around, and drives to the net. With the logjam of talent in the Maple Leafs organization, his path to the NHL was going to be difficult. Now, as part of the Flyers organization, he could make the jump to the NHL and become a valuable piece in their bottom six.
The other asset going to Philadelphia is a 2027 first-round pick, which comes with a top-10 protection condition. If the Maple Leafs land in the top 10 of the 2027 draft, they retain the pick. If not, the Flyers get another first-rounder, which they can either use or move at the 2027 NHL Trade Deadline.
