Insider Urges the Toronto Maple Leafs to Avoid Dealing for Flyers Forward
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Photo credit: Eric Hartline - USA Today Sports
With rumours swirling that the Toronto Maple Leafs are ramping up their pursuit of Scott Laughton, one insider believes the team should steer clear.
Over the weekend, Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco tweeted out that the Philadelphia Flyers had reopened trade negotiations over Scott Laughton and that the Toronto Maple Leafs were one of two teams that had intensified their pursuit for the veteran.
Laughton has been a Maple Leafs trade target for a very long time, but the Flyers have held onto the former first round pick through thick and thin.
The asking price has remained very high over the last few seasons, which makes it a gamble for the Maple Leafs and other teams involved.
Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos discussed this topic alongside Justin Bourne and Sam McKee on Sportsnet 590 The FAN and remained staunch that the Maple Leafs need to steer clear from Laughton and look for a bigger fish:
"That's not high enough for me. You need to go get a guy that can push John Tavares potentially out of that second slot... Schenn, Cozens, that's a high-end move. Scott Laughton has scored 18 goals once in 10-12 years. The rest of the time, it's 10 goals, 11 goals, 13 goals... it's not high enough for me."
Laughton is a 12-year veteran known for his grit, snarl, and versatility. The first half of his career was marred by injuries and fourth line duties before he finally stepped out of the shadows and improved enough to play a little higher in the lineup.
Since the hiring of John Tortorella, Laughton has been a far more formidable player than his early years but if the Maple Leafs want an impact player they should look elsewhere, especially factoring in Philadelphia's asking price of a first round pick.
However, as Kypreos points out, the Leafs should be looking for someone with a lot more offensive pop and perhaps even a player that can challenge John Tavares for top-six minutes. Laughton's 13-goal average over a full-82 game season doesn't really move the needle for what Toronto needs.
If the asking price drops, then Laughton would be the perfect player to acquire as he fits the mold of a 3C. But, if Toronto is shopping around premium draft capital, then they should invest it into more prolific options like Dylan Cozens or Brayden Schenn.
Laughton still fills a need, so it will be interesting to see if the Maple Leafs continue to pursue the 30-year-old utility forward with the trade deadline just a few weeks away.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 11 | 1529 ANSWERS Insider Urges the Toronto Maple Leafs to Avoid Dealing for Flyers Forward Do you believe the Maple Leafs should steer clear of Scott Laughton? | ||
| Yes, especially at their high asking price | 1245 | 81.4 % |
| No, he's worth the price | 284 | 18.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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