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Scott Laughton Breaks His Silence About Obvious Struggles Since Being Acquired by the Leafs

Originally posted on Maple Leafs Daily | By Dean Chaudhry | Last updated Mar 24, 2025 5:10 PM ET

Scott Laughton has struggled greatly since the trade that brought him to the Maple Leafs at the deadline and he has finally broken his silence on the subject.

When they struck out on Brayden Schenn, it was almost a foregone conclusion that the Toronto Maple Leafs were going to swing a deal for veteran forward Scott Laughton ahead of the trade deadline. The only question was how much was it going to cost.

In the end, the Philadelphia Flyers accepted a deal that included a 2027 first round pick and prospect Nikita Grebenkin. With Laughton being more of a gritty, defensive-minded option who wouldn't necessarily address any of the team's offensive concerns, the transition wasn't expected to be a difficult one. However, that's exactly what it has been.

The 30-year-old is still looking for his first point as a member of the Maple Leafs and he was recently demoted to the team's fourth line in the midst of another lineup shuffle from head coach Craig Berube last week.

Despite the up-and-down beginning to his tenure as a Leaf, Laughton is confident in his abilities to turn things around and acknowledges that he feels a lot better in terms of how his game is starting to round out:

'It's been crazy for sure. But I think I'm starting to find my footing. I think my game in Nashville was one of my better ones, so build on it. It doesn't really matter the role here, I think you try and help this team.'

The former first round pick never truly realized his offensive potential at the NHL level, but quickly transformed his game into something that NHL teams would be clamouring for, which was a big reason as to why he stuck around Philadelphia for as long as he did.

It's certainly a work-in-progress, especially coming over ahead of the trade deadline from a rebuilding team to a club with Stanley Cup aspirations but Laughton is a wily veteran who understands his role better than most and can adapt to whatever Berube throws his way.

His next chance to get on the scoreboard and showcase his abilities will come Tuesday night against the Flyers. He is very excited for the upcoming matchup and even mentioned how he's talked to Travis Konecny about this very situation:

'We've talked about it our whole careers if we play against each other. We usually like to chirp a little bit. It'll be pretty funny seeing him on the other side.'

Expect a more fiery Laughton on Tuesday night, which could lead to more physicality, harder forechecking, and maybe even his first point as a Maple Leaf against the team that drafted him in the first round all the way back in 2012.

This article first appeared on Maple Leafs Daily and was syndicated with permission.

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