Leafs Add Laughton and Carlo
Correction: Toronto got a 5th round pick in 2025 from Pittsburgh for Timmins and Dewar and traded their 2026 1st and a 2025 4th for Carlo
The trade deadline for the 2024-25 season has come and gone, and the Toronto Maple Leafs made some great moves today. First, they freed up $1.15 million by sending Ryan Reaves to the Marlies.
Their first trade saw Toronto package their 2027 first-round pick with Nikita Grebenkin and send them to the Flyers in exchange for Scott Laughton (with 50% of his salary retained), a 2025 fourth-round pick, and a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Toronto then sent Connor Timmins and Connor Dewar to the Penguins for a first-round pick. They later flipped that pick, packaging it with Fraser Minten to acquire Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins.
Scott Laughton:
Scott is a 6-foot center who will likely slot in as Toronto’s third-line center, giving the team more stability down the middle. This means the Leafs won’t have to rely as heavily on Holmberg or Domi, as they have for most of the season. Laughton will also bring some much-needed grit to the lineup, with 129 hits so far this season. Additionally, he has 27 points to his name.
With Toronto only paying 50% of Laughton’s salary for the remainder of this season and all of next year—amounting to $1.5 million—this is a great move for the Leafs. According to Craig Berube, Laughton could make his debut for the Leafs tomorrow against Colorado.
Brandon Carlo:
Leafs fans are very familiar with Carlo, given how often Toronto and Boston have clashed in the postseason. This is an incredible addition for the Maple Leafs. Carlo is a big, physical defenseman who is a nightmare for opponents to play against. While he isn’t known for his offensive contributions—only recording nine points this season—he makes life extremely difficult for opposing teams with his physicality and shot-blocking abilities. Carlo has registered 119 blocked shots this season.
One of the biggest advantages Carlo brings is his ability to clear the net, giving goalies Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz a better chance to track the puck. He also adds a winning mindset to the locker room. With Carlo in the lineup, some of the pressure will be lifted off Morgan Rielly, who, despite showing improvement in recent games, has had a challenging season overall.
Boston will retain 15% of Carlo’s salary, meaning the Leafs will pay him $3.4 million per season until the end of 2026-27. Once again, this is fantastic business by Brad Treliving.
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