Oh, how the tables have turned in the Great Lakes region.
On one hand, you have the Buffalo Sabres working their way up the NHL standings and putting themselves in position to finally make the playoffs.
On the other hand, their Atlantic Division rivals in the Toronto Maple Leafs are heading towards a roster revamp faster than the Niagara Falls flow rate.
But could the two teams still find a way to benefit from one another?
Enter Scott Laughton, who I personally view as one of the league's more underrated depth forwards.
The former Philadelphia Flyer was traded to the Maple Leafs at last year's trade deadline; despite scoring just four points in 20 games with the Leafs, Laughton's two-way game was essential for Toronto's run to the Atlantic Division title and their two playoff rounds against the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers.
Through 43 games played with the Leafs this season, Laughton has recorded 12 points (eight goals and four assists). But even with his improved play, Toronto sits in seventh place in the Atlantic Division, sporting a 27-24-10 record and 64 points in the standings. Despite the winning record, it only succeeds in making the Leafs look better than they actually are: A team struggling to find offense when they need it, and one that is now nine points off of a playoff spot.
Add on the fact that they came out of the Olympic break with four straight losses and you have the recipe for Toronto to pull away from the consistent playoff/wannabe Stanley Cup contender mantra and start a roster retool of sorts.
Though the Leafs have attempted to work on an extension, Laughton is set to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the season. Therefore, that leaves the option for Toronto to trade him on the table heading into Friday's deadline.
Scott Laughton could be a perfect fit for the Buffalo Sabres as they aim to make an NHL playoff run
The Sabres may be set with regard to their top six forwards, but there is room for the team to add some veteran depth to that forward group. The Sabres could also use the kind of two-way game Laughton brings to reinforce the defensive side of the ice. He's proven himself more than capable of winning faceoffs and puck battles, something that is of the utmost importance during playoff and playoff-caliber games.
Laughton also brings a good level of playoff experience, something that the Sabres' roster does lack. Throughout his NHL career, Laughton has made four postseason appearances. One of those appearances came in the 2020 "bubble playoffs," which had Philadelphia as the top team in the Eastern Conference. During that postseason tournament, Laughton recorded nine points (five goals and four assists) through 15 games played.
A potential return for this trade may be pricey but it would nonetheless be doable. Any retool/rebuild/revamp/whatever you want to call this completed by the Leafs would have to start with the acquisition of prospects, players who can fill roles, and draft picks (lots of them at that).
Regarding the draft capital side of this discussion, Buffalo has a total of five first- and second-round draft picks in the next three drafts, with three of those picks being first-rounders. Toronto doesn't own their first-round pick in this year's draft (that pick was acquired by Boston in the Brandon Carlo trade) or in next year's draft (that pick was sent to the Flyers in the original Laughton trade), so a first-round pick is more than likely going to be on Toronto's shopping list.
Another part of the Laughton trade took the form of prospect Nikita Grebenkin, who has tallied 12 points through his first 46 games with the Flyers. If the Leafs were to ask for a player to be included in a return, which would essentially allow for the Leafs to recoup exactly what they shelled out in the first place, players like Beck Malenstyn could be sent by Buffalo with little to no harm inflicted on the Sabres' lineup. Alternatively, Buffalo could offer an additional early- to mid-round pick to complete the trade.
The options are plentiful for the Sabres when it comes to this year's trade deadline. And while it might be tempting to secure a big-name forward like Robert Thomas, forwards like Laughton present low-cost, low-risk, and high-value presences for any locker room.
For an up-and-coming team like the Sabres, such options will not only be essential for getting the team back into the postseason but also with regard to keeping them in the picture in the future.