With this season’s NHL trade deadline come and gone, it’s time to peek behind the curtain and get the stories behind some of the most talked about trades across the league. And who better to speak on last Friday’s exchange of Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Toronto Maple Leafs than one of the men behind the trade itself?

Flyers GM Daniel Brière joined Nick Alberga and former teammate Jay Rosehill on Monday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take to give some first-hand insight on the deal. He shared that while the Oakville native ended up back in the GTA when all was said and done, there were lots of teams interested up until the final hours.

“We definitely had some talks leading into it, but I didn’t know where it was gonna go,” he said. “There were so many teams that were interested in Scotty Laughton and what he brings to the table, just the leadership part alone, you know?”

Laughton was traded to his hometown team with just hours left until the 3pm deadline, in exchange for a first-round pick and Nikita Grebenkin. For a team like Toronto looking to get tougher and add depth in hopes of a deep playoff run, he was a natural fit.

“The grit part, the defensive game, the versatility of Scotty Laughton. He can play on your first line for a few games as a winger, he can play on your fourth line as a centre,” said the former Flyer turned executive. “He can move up and down the line-up. He can kill penalties, he was playing net front on the power play with us.”

Not only will any special teams support be a big boost for Toronto, but Brière adds that there are serious upsides for a team battered by injuries in getting a player with so much versatility. This kind of glowing review will be welcome news for Leafs’ fans traumatized by constant losses of key players over the last couple years–not to mention how that might affect a gruelling playoff run if they are able to make it deep into May.

“He’s just the jack of all trades and so helpful for a team going into the playoffs,” Brière said. “Because you’re gonna be faced with adversity along the way, you’re gonna be faced with injuries along the way if you’re planning on making a long run. Having a guy like Scott Laughton really helps your team because you can plug him in so many areas.”

While other teams were interested leading up to the deadline, it was the Leafs who ultimately won the Laughton sweepstakes, a testament to the strong trading relationship between the two franchises.

“We felt it was a good fit for [Toronto], along with a lot of other teams,” he said. “Things escalated pretty quickly with them. On Friday, we had a good feeling that a trade was gonna get done with Scotty Laughton on that day, and the Leafs stepped up.”

Laughton was drafted 20th overall in 2012 by the Flyers with 11 seasons in Philadelphia to his name. The 30-year-old has 27 points in 61 games this season, including a four-goal effort in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings in December. He made his Maple Leafs debut last Saturday in a 7-4 road loss to the Colorado Avalanche.