Flyers Reportedly Insisted on Young Leafs Prospect Being Involved in Scott Laughton Trade

When the Leafs were doing their trade deadline prep, Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton was a name that had been at or near the top of their list for several weeks.

In the end, the Leafs and Flyers did end up getting a deal done for Laughton, sending a 2027 conditional 1st round pick and prospect Nikita Grebenkin to Philly, while also bringing back 4th and 6th round draft picks in the deal as well.

While some hypothesized that the Leafs pushed to include the near-NHL-ready Grebenkin in the deal to allow them to retain other top prospects, Flyers GM Danny Briere confirmed this week that it was actually the Flyers that pushed to acquire Grebenkin after scouts fell in love with his brand of hockey.

Grebenkin had become a fan-favourite in Toronto in a very short amount of time, due in large to his fun-loving personality off the ice and his tenacious, physical style on the ice.

Grebenkin was originally a 5th round pick by the Maple Leafs back in 2022. The 21-year-old winger had produced 9 goals and 21 points for the Marlies this season at the time of the trade. He did not produce a point in any of his 7 games with the Maple Leafs.