NHL
Scott Laughton has two goals in his last three games. Dan Hamilton / Imagn Images
TORONTO — Scott Laughton has been here before. Sort of.
Technically, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward has never hit unrestricted free agency. After his entry-level contract, the former Flyer signed two bridge deals in a row with Philadelphia. As the 2021 trade deadline approached, Laughton’s status as a pending UFA meant his name popped up in trade rumours.
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“I thought I was on the move,” Laughton said, looking back at 2021. “And then 15 minutes left before the deadline, I ended up signing. It’s crazy how it happens.”
The five-year deal Laughton signed on trade deadline day will expire this summer, bringing him back to familiar territory. After a trade to the Maple Leafs at last year’s deadline, Laughton is again a pending UFA. And again without an extension, the heart-and-soul centre’s future is in question.
The Leafs have no shortage of important roster decisions to make. Near the top of that list? What the future holds for Laughton within the organization.
After a rocky start following his arrival in Toronto, Laughton has settled in nicely. He’s become a dependable bottom-six centre, the Leafs’ best penalty-killing forward and an integral member of the dressing room. He is currently doing a lot of heavy lifting: He has two goals in his last three games, one of which helped force overtime against the Detroit Red Wings and gained the Leafs a valuable point in the playoff push.
“I could see myself being here long-term,” Laughton told The Athletic.
And why wouldn’t he think that way? He’ll be 32 years old in May and could have just one more significant contract in his NHL career. Laughton is currently the Leafs’ highest-paid pending UFA ($3 million AAV, with half of his cap hit being eaten by the Flyers) and will be due for a raise on his next contract.
Laughton is not in Jason Spezza territory, where he could agree to a one-year deal for under $1 million or so just to come home. But he still wants to be in Toronto, and he’s open to negotiating in the season.
“I know they’re going to have to talk, my agent and (Leafs general manager Brad Treliving), to see where we’re at,” Laughton said. “I’m just trying to play and help this team.”
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His confidence in a future in Toronto is buoyed for two reasons. First, health: Outside of an ankle injury from blocking a shot that kept him out of 13 games to start this season, Laughton has enjoyed relatively strong health over the past few seasons. He believes that will keep him playing well beyond this year.
“I’m definitely not at the start of my career but I feel healthy, like I have good legs,” Laughton said. “I feel like I have a ton of good years left.”
Next, location. Over the summer, Laughton began to think about staying near his home in Oakville beyond this season. He appreciates being close to his family. And his new-ish teammates are starting to feel like family, too.
“I believe in this team to win. That’s a big part of it at this point in my career,” Laughton said. “I’ve fallen in love with the guys, too. There’s a lot of guys who care here. It’s been special for me this year.”
There are reasons to believe Laughton would be a fit for the Leafs long-term as well. Through a disappointing season in which the team has lacked consistent effort, Laughton has shown reliable energy, physicality and leadership.
Off the ice, his consistency is evident to those who have played with him. Flyers forward and longtime teammate Travis Konecny has seen how important Laughton can be to a team.
“You’re going to get the same out of him every day, win or loss,” Konecny said. “He’s the guy that’s always setting something up for the guys to have a dinner, grab a beer, whatever it is, it’s always something. He has a relationship with every guy on our team, if that makes sense. Everywhere he goes he’s got friends because he has time for everybody.”
Team culture is a tricky thing to define. Yet many who have spent time around Laughton insist he positively contributes to a team’s unity and culture. If the Leafs organization wants to turn the page on a substandard season and retool their roster, Laughton could be the type to lead by example.
Konecny called Laughton a “unicorn” in how he can pull a team together.
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“It’s not something you notice, like, ‘Oh, we’re close.’ But when you lose a guy like (Laughton), you really feel it. It’s a hard spot to fill. You can’t replace Scottie. He’s one of a kind,” Konecny said.
It takes two sides to agree on a deal, however. And the Leafs organization — ownership included — could soon have a good, long think about how multiple players, including Laughton, might fit in this team long-term.
If the Leafs miss the playoffs, the organization could re-evaluate how the 2026-27 roster will be constructed. Missing the playoffs would be devastating enough to an organization with Auston Matthews and William Nylander under contract that serious roster changes could occur. What types of players are valued could be part of that change. The Leafs could look at their roster, one of the oldest in the NHL, and pivot to building a younger group — especially since their veteran team has struggled to stay healthy this season.
The Leafs could still question whether re-upping a player into his mid-30s, even with his on- and off-ice qualities, is a prudent move to sustain the window to win with Matthews and Nylander.
What about Laughton’s role under head coach Craig Berube? Laughton has eight goals in 34 games this season. He is averaging just 13:45 minutes of ice time, his lowest total since 2017-18. Laughton’s recent play gives reason to believe he could make an impact higher up the lineup. Internally, it’s worth asking whether that kind of role is even available beyond this season.
If it is, bringing Laughton back to Toronto is an option the Leafs will have to consider. So much will depend on how this season plays out and whether the Leafs make the playoffs.
And no one understands that better than Laughton himself.
“You look at numbers, you go through (contract ideas) but at the same time, you’re worried about winning,” Laughton said. “And that’s the best testament of your play, is in the playoffs.”
Joshua Kloke is a staff writer who has covered the Maple Leafs and Canadian soccer for The Athletic since 2016. Previously, he was a freelance writer for various publications, including Sports Illustrated. Follow Joshua on Twitter @joshuakloke
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