The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline.
Toronto won the Atlantic Division last season but is now projected to miss the playoffs. It’s been a disappointing season, so the Maple Leafs are looking to move some pending free agents.
Two of the players the Maple Leafs are expected to trade are Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann. Although Toronto paid a first-round pick and a prospect for Laughton at last year’s trade deadline, Maple Leafs insider Jonas Siegel of The Athletic predicts Toronto won’t get a first-round pick for either player.
“Fourth-line centers don’t typically draw first-round picks, and that’s what Laughton has been this season,” Siegel wrote. “Maybe his intangible qualities — his scrappiness and winning personality — up his value a smidge higher, but a first-rounder might be pushing it. McMann is having a career year, meanwhile, and playing a lot of top-line minutes for the Leafs. On a playoff team, he’s likely a third-liner. Even a second-round pick is probably a win.”
Although the Maple Leafs will be sellers ahead of the March 6 trade deadline, Siegel thinks Toronto won’t get a great return.
Laughton has skated in 43 games, recording 8 goals and 4 assists for 12 points this season. McMann, meanwhile, has skated in 60 games, recording 19 goals and 13 assists for 32 points.
Maple Leafs Focused on Selling Assets
Toronto is well outside of a playoff spot, and the Maple Leafs will be one of the main sellers ahead of the March 6 deadline.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet believes Toronto is widening the scope and could trade more players than pending UFAs.
“There’s a lot of talk about the UFAs and what they could do. But the word around the Maple Leafs now is that they’re widening their scope of what they’d consider,” Friedman said on Saturday Headlines. “Now I don’t think it is anything like Matthews or Nylander. I don’t think we’re talking about anything like that. But the word around them is that they’re widening their ideas of what they may consider. And they are talking a bit more about players with term.”
Although the Maple Leafs have been in contract talks with McMann to extend him, Friedman isn’t sure a deal will get done.
“I believe there is an extension that both sides know could happen,” said Friedman. “The fact that he’s still a Maple Leaf tells me there’s nothing out there that they would trade him for at this point in time. We’ll see where it goes over the next six days, but I’m told that one could go in either direction.”
Ultimately, Toronto will be the team to watch ahead of the trade deadline.
Laughton Likely Gone
The one player that the Maple Leafs are expected to trade is Laughton.
Laughton is a pending free agent, and TSN NHL insider Chris Johnston said the team is looking to deal the forward.
“It feels that way,” Johnston said. “I think some of this will depend on where the offers end up. But look at what Scott Laughton is. When he was traded, ironically, by the Philadelphia Flyers to Toronto, they kept half of his salary at that point in time.
“So the Leafs are in afourth-linenow where they’re able to retain further salary potential in a trade. So you’d be getting a fourth-line centerman, who could maybe play a little bit up the lineup. We haven’t seen that a lot in Toronto. And at a bargain basement price. I think that’s really important for teams ahead of this deadline.”
Laughton is a solid third-line center on a Stanley Cup-contending team.
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