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Brad Treliving has succeeded with some very team-friendly contracts recently, but when it comes to Scott Laughton he needs to make sure he plays things carefully.
This past offseason for the Toronto Maple Leafs ended up coming with a marvellous bit of good luck.
It was shrewd from Brad Treliving and showed that while there might be some hesitation from some around joining the Maple Leafs, the ones who want to be here want to see it through to the end.
Thankfully that also means they don’t have to worry about any big free agents this summer, as Stolarz was arguably the only one who was a central focus in terms of re-signing.
But there’s one other player who has the same passion who could also take a pay cut.
What a Fair Deal for Scott Laughton Could Look Like
Scott Laughton joins only a small handful of free agents for Toronto next season which also include Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson.
While the latter two could be argued against keeping and might bring in some much needed assets, it’s Laughton who provides a great service even if he’s not talked about.
In 681 games he has 269 points (108 goals, 161 assists) and had four points in 20 games with the Maple Leafs last year (2 goals, 2 assists).
So knowing the type of game he brings: physical, gritty, and defensive; with a flash of offense thrown in too, what price do you put on it?
According to some, a contract similar to what Trent Frederic earned with the Edmonton Oilers might be enough to entice the veteran pivot to stick around.
While Laughton is four years older than Frederic, and it would be egregious to give him a six-year extension, but in terms of the money it might be perfect.
If Toronto can convince Laughton to take a four-year deal; one that lines up with all of their current stars’ contracts, paying him $2.5-million a season should suffice.
That is a million less than Frederic’s AAV but that’s to compensate for his age, and it comes to an $10-million contract; which is slightly less than what he signed for in Philly.
With a rising cap it’ll make that deal look better in the long-term, and he certainly is worth that amount of money compared to someone like David Kampf who makes $2.4-million and is toiling in the minors.
Laughton has proven that he wants to be in Toronto and help the team win at any cost, and he deserves to be rewarded for his loyalty and passion like others before him.
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