logo
The LeafsNation has no direct affiliation to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Brad Treliving expands on trade deadline day, impact of Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo for Leafs
alt
Photo credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff
Michael Mazzei
Mar 7, 2025, 19:00 ESTUpdated: Mar 7, 2025, 20:15 EST
Comments
After going quiet leading up to Friday, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving had a busy trade deadline day and got a lot done.
Treliving addressed the team’s two biggest needs in a third-line centre and a top-four defenceman by acquiring Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo, respectively. The cost to acquire both was steep and some parts of their active roster were subtracted, but the Leafs feel like they are in a much better position now than they were going into the trade deadline day.
When speaking with reporters in Colorado after finishing up his moves for the day, Treliving admitted that he had to pull an all-nighter but feels good about where the team is going into the stretch drive.
“With (Chris) Tanev out the last week or so, we just wanted to make sure we had that type of profile and try to spread those minutes around a little bit more,” Treliving said. “I think the D has done a really good job this year. We wanted to add some help with some experience as well as at the center-ice position and give us some depth there. Both players do.”
Getting Laughton and Carlo resulted in two of the Leafs’ top prospects being surrendered in Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin. They also had to place Ryan Reaves on waivers and trade Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar to the Pittsburgh Penguins in order to make the salary cap work to make the necessary room for the two incoming players.
While he is no doubt excited about the additions, Treliving also said that letting go of the four players is not easy from an emotional perspective but understood that you have to give to get.
“Obviously, both Connors have been with the NHL team longer than the young guys. That is the tough part about today. You have to, in some cases, say goodbye to real good people. All four were great Leafs,” Treliving said. “The two kids, Nikita’s personality sort of captured everybody there. I said to him, ‘More backcheck, and they’ll be a greater paycheque.’ You can’t say enough about Fraser. He is just a wonderful, wonderful young man.”
One thing that the Leafs GM made clear is that he was well aware of the upgrades that the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning were making but made sure not to get too reactionary. Treliving instead stayed focused on the task at hand, which was to get two players that fit their requirements and are under team control beyond this season. It may have taken longer than he would have liked but he got what he needed done and right on time.
In terms of Carlo, Treliving said it was a defenceman they had been keeping tabs on for quite some time and felt he had productive talks with Bruins GM Don Sweeney.
“It is the profile of him. He is big, long, has a great stick, defends the blue paint really well, is excellent on the penalty killer, and has tremendous character,” Treliving said. “In talking to both him and Donny today, he has been a big part of the success that has gone on in Boston, and they have had a lot of it. He has been on our radar for a long, long time.”
As for why they went after Laughton, the GM said character certainly played a factor in why they zeroed in on a player who is pumped to be playing for his hometown team.
“I have been watching Scotty Laughton since he was in Oshawa. He has been a captain wherever he goes. If you look and see some of the things being said about him in Philly today, he is just a character guy,” Treliving said. “As hard as it was for him — he has been a Flyer his whole life — he was emotional talking about coming home and playing for the Leafs. He is excited. That was a really important chapter in his life in Philly, but he is excited to start one here.”
Treliving added that he expects both to be arriving in Colorado on time for their game on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche.
Getting both players was certainly not cheap, and they could have gone in a different direction in surrendering guys like Easton Cowan and Matthew Knies. But in the end, he was able to keep them both along with Ben Danford while getting needs fixed that will be able to help the team out for the next few years.
Now that the hard work is done, Treliving will set his sights on seeing how the team does in the playoffs and then reassessing after that.
“It was business as usual. It is busy. Deadline day is always busy. Deadlines force decisions in some cases. I thought it was a busy day. You saw a lot of activity in the league,” Treliving said. “You have to do your work ahead of time. Credit to the staff. We were prepared. I executed the plan.”
Get ready, hockey fans! The Daily Faceoff Deadline is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we’ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!
News
MORE NEWS. IN YOUR INBOX.
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Breaking News