Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter Makes Brutal Suggestion Involving Scott Laughton
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The Toronto Maple Leafs recently acquired Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers and so far, the trade has not worked out in their favor.
Scott Laughton was a center that the Maple Leafs had their eyes on for months before finally pulling the trigger at the trade deadline.
The Philadelphia Flyers were able to receive Nikita Grebenkin and a first-round pick in 2027 which was a hefty price for a player who has only reached 40 points once in his career.
However, the Maple Leafs wanted a gritty forward to be their third-line center, and they paid the price knowing a deep playoff run could be on the horizon.
Did the Toronto Maple Leafs make a mistake with Scott Laughton
Unfortunately, Laughton has failed to register a single point in his first nine games as a Leaf and he has bounced around the third and fourth lines. Not to mention, Craig Berube is now playing him on the wing.
In a piece by Jon Steitzer of The Leafs Nation, it was suggested that the Leafs may need to scratch Scott Laughton so that he can reset and get his bearings.
Taking a step back for a second, I want to say that I do believe that Laughton is a very good bottom-six player. He's struggling, and some of those struggles come from John Tortorella being very different from most NHL coaches and Laughton having deep roots in the Philadelphia organization.
He can be a solid two-way player in the middle of the lineup and will be again, it's just that he seems lost. Putting him in the press box is as much about resetting him and using it as a learning opportunity as it is telling him he's been playing substandard hockey. It shouldn't be an issue to tell a 30-year-old veteran on a pointless streak that they aren't making the grade.
He can be a solid two-way player in the middle of the lineup and will be again, it's just that he seems lost. Putting him in the press box is as much about resetting him and using it as a learning opportunity as it is telling him he's been playing substandard hockey. It shouldn't be an issue to tell a 30-year-old veteran on a pointless streak that they aren't making the grade.
This isn't a bad idea, however, it is a bit of a brutal one when you consider how Laughton was supposed to be the answer to a lot of the team's problems in their bottom-six.
Then again, it hasn't even been three weeks since the trade, so you have to give the guy just a bit of grace moving forward here.
That said, the expectations are very high this season and with the Leafs playing the San Jose Sharks tonight, fans are hoping to see Laughton get his first points.
If not, then perhaps Craig Berube will have to make a serious change on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings.
| POLL | ||
MARS 27 | 232 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter Makes Brutal Suggestion Involving Scott Laughton Do you believe the Toronto Maple Leafs need to scratch Scott Laughton? | ||
| YES | 52 | 22.4 % |
| NO | 180 | 77.6 % |
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