Struggling Leaf Scott Laughton anxious to show new and old teams he can still produce​on March 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm

From centre to wing, Torts to the Chief and Philly cheese steaks to Toronto traffic, it has been quite the new script for Scott Laughton.

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And he has struggled with parts of the on-ice component, as his zero points and minus-5 have shown over eight games.

It has begun to overshadow what was to be a happy homecoming to Oakville and his boyhood team.

Yet it could be the juxtaposition of Tuesday’s first game against the Flyers that gets the 30-year-old to his desired comfort level.

“It’s going to be pretty weird, emotional, feel different for sure so quickly after (the trade),” Laughton said after Monday’s practice. “Hopefully, I beat ‘em.”

Laughton met several Flyers on Sunday night after their game in Chicago, he can’t wait to face Travis Konecny and made a point of taking out the Philly trainers and support staff who were close to him in a 10-year tenure.

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Foremost in his mind is making more of a contribution to the Leafs. Initially obtained as the third-line centre option for the playoff push, coach Craig Berube ended up keeping Max Domi there for now and used Laughton at left wing. After some time on the fourth line, Monday’s practice forecasted Laughton will be back up with Domi and Nick Robertson.

Laughton’s family was able to join him the past few days to help “ground” him and put his mind at ease. Though the Leafs lost 5-2 to the lowly Nashville Predators on Saturday, Laughton considered it one of his best games from a forechecking perspective, though he was on the ice for a couple of goals against. He also had a first-period goal wiped out by borderline high stick contact.

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“I want to build on that game. It doesn’t really matter about the role here, you try and help this team and be a part of it. I’m learning every day.”

Laughton keeps reminding himself the biggest bonus is being back in the playoff wars after the Flyers didn’t qualify the past five years.

“It’s really cool at this time of year to be playing this kind of hockey, important hockey. You have to put a little pressure on yourself. I’ve been in the league long enough where you’re aware when you’re going and when you need to pick it up.”

Whether its the middle or the side, accumulating points or not, Berube is getting some valuable intel on where Laughton can fit, should he wish to move lines around in mid-April or if there is an injury at forward.

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The coach said part of his thinking is Laughton could absorb the Leafs system better on the flank without the added responsibilities of a centre.

“Sometimes coming to a new team, it’s less to think about, less to do,” Berube said. “I don’t want to put so much on him early. It’s not that he can’t play centre, but he has played both. We’re trying to find some chemistry for him.

“I love having two guys on a line that can take faceoffs because draws get very important (at crunch time). They’re important now. He’ll get his reps at both. (Saturday) was his best game for sure. The goal was disallowed, but he was way more engaged and providing more.”

Laughton had 27 points in 59 games before the trade, acknowledging that scoring was a struggle in Philly as well. He didn’t come cheap, costing the Leafs a first-round pick in 2027 and minor-league prospect forward Nikita Grebenkin.

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“It’s not my sole job, but I want to provide offence,” Laughton said.  “You want to produce, but you want to play winning hockey. I’m going to continue to try and do that and go from there.

“I’ve played about 20 games at wing, I’m comfortable there. It’s probably a little less work in the defensive zone, more room for cheating a bit more to get on offence.”

Laughton briefly interacted with Berube in his rookie year when the latter was head coach of the Flyers, while a cast of bench bosses afterwards concluded for him with John Tortorella the past three seasons.

Joking aside that Berube runs shorter practices than the demanding Torts, Laughton describes them as “pretty similar.”

“Torts gets a bad rap in the media,” Laughton claimed. “He’s a players’ coach, you can go in and talk to him at any time. Chief has been very good in conversations with me, too. He lets me know where I stand and what he wants from me.

“That’s the biggest thing as a player and both guys do a great job.”

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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