Maple Leafs likely trading Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Scott Laughton presents a problem
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Maple Leafs likely trading Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Scott Laughton presents a problem originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are still due to make some moves before Friday's NHL trade deadline.
If those deals involve Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Scott Laughton, they create a problem for themselves.
Sure, those guys make sense to deal now, especially Laughton. He's on an expiring contract.
But that duo has also been a positive pair in what hasn't been a good season for the Maple Leafs.
"The two players who have best represented the Leafs’ desired 'DNA' this year, Scott Laughton and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, are two of the guys available at the deadline," Nick Kypreos wrote this week for the Toronto Star. "It’s paramount the team finds comparable replacements this summer."
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Ironically, if the team that trades for Laughton doesn't sign him to an extension, the Leafs could just go right after him in free agency.
OEL still has term on his contract, so he wouldn't be easily reacquired if the Maple Leafs trade him now.
Toronto's talent isn't really the main question of this season. Maybe the defense has underperformed a bit, and the absence of Mitch Marner has been felt, but the Maple Leafs have a lot of good hockey players.
Somehow, the overall picture hasn't come together, and that's why they're selling at the deadline after a putrid return from the Olympic break.
They'll have to find the right offseason additions to try and avoid this happening again. That was supposed to be what Laughton and Ekman-Larsson did.
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