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A Second Look at the Maple Leafs’ Carlo–Laughton Trades

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Old Prof | Last updated Jan 6, 2026 10:46 PM ET

For the Toronto Maple Leafs, every season carries pressure to do well in the playoffs. That leads to risky trade-deadline deals. Sometimes they make sense. Sometimes they look better on paper than on the ice. With time passing, a few recent trades deserve a second look.

At last year’s deadline, the Maple Leafs went all in. In a pair of moves, they sent Fraser Minten, prospect Nikita Grebenkin, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 to acquire Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton, with late-round picks coming back.

Fraser Minten Was a Young Centre They Should Have Kept

Minten is probably the hardest loss for Maple Leafs fans to take. In his first full season with Boston, he started slowly. However, recently he’s starting to produce. He now has scored eight goals and put up 17 points in 42 games. He also sits at +8 in plus/minus. What’s so special about him is his intelligence, both on and off the ice.

On the ice, it makes him the kind of centre who can handle defensive responsibilities, play physically, and give the Bruins secondary scoring for years. Losing him means the Maple Leafs gave up a potential 20-goal, 45-point middle-six centre just as he’s starting to find his footing. They also moved a 2025 fourth-round pick and a top-five-protected first-rounder in 2026. That’s a heavy price for something that hasn’t really paid off.

Even with the top-five protection on that 2026 first-rounder, you have to wonder if it could have been flipped for a better return—or held to help restock the prospect pool. Minten’s loss alone makes this trade feel like a setback.

Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton: The Maple Leafs’ “Immediate Help”

Brandon Carlo was brought in to steady the blue line. He has size and experience, but the $3.485 million cap hit feels heavy for a player who hasn’t consistently moved the needle. He looked solid at times alongside Morgan Rielly last season, but injuries limited him to just 18 games this year. The hope is that his return helps stabilize things.

Scott Laughton brings effort, versatility, and reliability. He kills penalties, plays honest minutes, and fits most nights. But the offence hasn’t been there at the level you’d want for the price paid. He’s useful, but he hasn’t been what you’d call a difference-maker. And he came from the Philadelphia Flyers with fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft and round 6 pick in the 2027 draft to Toronto Maple Leafs for Nikita Grebenkin and round 1 pick in the 2027 draft.

The Win-Now Gambit Didn’t Work Out

Combined, the two arrivals were meant to give the Maple Leafs a chance to win last season. Yet again, they pushed the Panthers hard — and yet again, it ended the same way. Now, the price of these trades were three high-value assets, including a first-round pick and a young centre like Minten—makes it hard to see this as a win for the long term.

The Maple Leafs made a clear bet last offseason: win now, even if it meant mortgaging the future. Minten’s development in Boston makes the Carlo-Laughton trade feel even sharper in hindsight. They fit into the same old Maple Leafs’ story. The Leafs chose urgency over patience, and that’s always a gamble. Without playoff success, it’s the kind of bet that lingers.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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