The pros of trading Laughton are pretty simple: you could get a good return for him. The Leafs acquired Laughton with half his salary being retained, a fourth-round draft pick in 2025, and a 2027 sixth-round draft pick at last season's trade deadline. They gave up Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-round draft pick. Many, including myself, didn't like the trade when it happened, but Laughton has turned into an integral piece of this lineup.
"He's a special player, not just goal scoring, but he's dominating the puck and controlling the play, doing so many things well," Tavares said. "He's just such a driver and does so many things well. He drives the team in so many facets, whether it's offensively or defensively. He has the will to compete, to find the way to earn results and continue to grind things out."
Off the ice, he is such a great teammate and locker room guy. He brings a lot of life to the team and energy. He is super human. On the ice, he gives you the effort. He is an effort guy out there; he's a worker, and he has skill, too, but he does a lot of work for us. He is one of our "dependables," I call him.
He brings spirit to your team. Team spirit is really important. I believe - I don't believe; I know it - that he brings that team spirit every game. He is a great teammate and a likeable guy. He is always chatting and talking. He brings a lot to the team outside of the ice. It is important. Locker rooms are very important in this game, and he impacts the ice with his work ethic and second and third efforts out there as a player.
Does the win on Tuesday release some of the pressure or tension for the team? Berube: It does. It does for a bit, but we have to carry on here and keep piling up wins when we can. That game is over. We did a good job and won the hockey game, but we have a tough challenge tonight that we have to get focused on.
Berube: Yeah, I didn't mind it at all. He is that type of guy who is going to do what he has to do for his teammate. I have no problem with it. You've highlighted Laughton's chatter on the bench. In what ways does his influence the team with his voice? Berube: He has energy. That's just him: a talkative guy, a team guy, and a good character guy who has been around for a long time and understands the game very well.
