The One Player the Maple Leafs Should Never Have Let Go
Scott Laughton could end up being one of the biggest “what if” stories from the Toronto Maple Leafs over the last couple of seasons. Toronto paid a high price to bring him in from the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2025 trade deadline because they wanted more grit, more leadership, and more playoff-style hockey in the lineup. The strange part is that once they got him, they never really seemed to know what to do with him.
The Maple Leafs really never gave Laughton a chance to show what he could do.
Instead of giving Laughton meaningful minutes and offensive opportunities, the Maple Leafs mostly treated him like a fourth-line grinder. That never really made much sense, considering the type of player he had been for years in Philadelphia. Yes, he plays hard and brings energy, but there’s more to his game than just hitting and defensive zone work. Toronto’s coaching staff seemed locked into using certain players in very specific roles, and Laughton became another example of a player who probably got boxed in too quickly.
The numbers tell part of the story. Laughton barely saw offensive zone starts in Toronto and looked stuck playing survival hockey most nights. Then he lands with the Los Angeles Kings, and suddenly everything changes. The Kings trusted him more, gave him better minutes, and let him actually play. Almost immediately, his production picked up. He looked faster, more confident, and more involved offensively. Funny how that works sometimes when a player feels trusted by his coaching staff.
What's worse, Laughton wanted to stay in Toronto.
What makes this sting a little more for Leafs fans is the fact that Laughton genuinely wanted to stay in Toronto. This was home for him. He made that clear before leaving, and fans really connected with the way he played and carried himself. He was respected in the locker room, played hard every night, and felt like the kind of veteran who could help younger players coming into the organization.
Now the Kings might be working toward an extension with him, and it’s hard to blame him if he stays. Southern California is not exactly a tough sell compared to the pressure cooker of playing in Toronto.
Still, you can’t help but wonder if the Maple Leafs shot themselves in the foot here. They spent assets to get him, never fully used him properly, then moved him out for what felt like a modest return. If there’s somehow still a path to bringing him back to Toronto, it’s something the Leafs should seriously consider — because players like him don’t come around all the time.