{"id":481700,"date":"2026-03-02T23:26:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T23:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/481700\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T23:26:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T23:26:17","slug":"maple-leafs-pending-ufa-scott-laughton-linked-to-cup-contender-out-west","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/481700\/","title":{"rendered":"Maple Leafs Pending UFA Scott Laughton Linked to Cup Contender Out West"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> are poised to be very busy sellers this week. The trade deadline hits on Friday at 3pm Eastern. Pending unrestricted free agents are the most likely candidates to go, though much of the team is available<\/a> for the right price.<\/p>\n

Scott Laughton knows all about being dealt at the deadline. Exactly one year ago, he was acquired by Toronto from the Philadelphia Flyers. And he\u2019s made it very clear he\u2019s loved every minute of it playing for his hometown team.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard sometimes. But, at the end of the day, you\u2019re in the NHL & one of the best franchises. It\u2019s a very humbling opportunity to play here & it\u2019s a special place \u2026 I\u2019ve loved it here,\u201d Laughton told TSN\u2019s Mark Masters.<\/p>\n

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But with no real headway being made on an extension, there\u2019s a very real possibility that Laughton could be wearing a new uniform by the weekend. Insider Elliotte Friedman feels the hard-working center would be an ideal fit for a certain Stanley Cup contender out west.<\/p>\n

Laughton linked to Avalanche as deadline approaches<\/p>\n

On Sunday\u2019s NHL on TNT<\/a>, Friedman was discussing the possibility of the Colorado Avalanche re-acquiring Nazem Kadri from the Calgary Flames. He told the crew that Kadri\u2019s $7 million cap hit would be awfully difficult for them to fit into their cap structure going forward. They need to keep their house in order for the big Cale Maker extension coming in the summer. That\u2019s when he evoked Laughton\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

One of the centers I heard that could end up in Colorado is Scott Laughton. I think he\u2019d be a tremendous fit. He would be more of a rental.<\/p>\n

The 31-year-old\u2019s five-year, $15 million contract ($3M AAV) expires at season\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

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Laughton had been a regular double-digit goal-scorer, with between 30 and 40 points annually in his previous few years with the Flyers. His numbers in Toronto have paled, however, on the offensive end. This year, he\u2019s found the net eight times, with 12 points in 42 games.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s the intangibles that Laughton brings that creates value. He provides leadership, on and off the ice, is hard-working, and plays with a physical intensity. A gritty, bottom-six center that any contending team could use.<\/p>\n

The Avalanche, in particular, are in the market for a third-line center. And this isn\u2019t the first time he\u2019s been linked to the team. His face-off acumen (56.7% this season), and his reasonable cap hit also make him an great fit for Colorado\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

In what could be his final game with the Leafs, Laughton faces his old team, the Flyers, on Monday night.<\/p>\n

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