It’s no secret that Scott Laughton has not had the start to his Toronto Maple Leafs’ career that he or anyone in the organization wanted.

Since making his debut with the Maple Leafs following this year’s trade deadline, Laughton hasn’t registered a point in eight games played, with six shots on goal, a -5 rating, and seven penalty minutes. In Saturday’s tough 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators, he had a goal disallowed and only played 9:52.

As it goes, less than 10 games into his time in Toronto, he is already being written off by some, with many fans taking to social media over the past days to express their disappointment with Laughton, and GM Brad Treliving for trading for him. And it’s hard to blame them, since the price for acquiring the 30-year-old (along with a fourth and sixth round pick) from the Philadelphia Flyers was fan favourite prospect Nikita Grebenkin and their 2027 first-round pick. It’s no small fee for a player who has yet to produce or show up in any meaningful way.

But as quick as some are to write him off all together, consider that Laughton is coming from Philadelphia where he was playing under John Tortorella and is now adjusting to playing under Craig Berube’s system. Different players take time to adjust to new environments, systems, and styles, and it’s still early for Laughton. Not to mention as an Oakville native, it’s been seen time and again that the pressures of the hometown media in Toronto can take a toll, and make take some time to get used to.

Above all, one of the big reasons the longtime Flyer was brought in was for what he can potentially bring to a playoff roster. Toronto is stacked with offensive talent, but has struggled mightily to get it done in the postseason for decades. Not only does Laughton bring a level of size and physicality that’s been shown to be needed in the playoffs, he has also proven that he has the ability to show up big time when it counts.

Laughton’s last appearance in the postseason came at the end of the 2019-20 season, when he put up nine points in 15 games, leading the team with five goals through their two-round run. That season, he had only had 27 points in 49 regular season games, not far off from the 27 in 60 games he had with the Flyers this year before being sent to Toronto.

Now, this was a couple years ago and a small sample size, so it may seem easy to dismiss as a fluke. But as his last playoff appearance, it shows an element of his game that Leafs fans are yet to see, and one he hasn’t got to tap into for a few years. As fans in Toronto know all too well, you are only as good as you play in the postseason. In that sense, Scott Laughton’s time to shine may still be on the way.

So while Berube is still working on where Laughton fits best in this lineup, bumping him back up to the third line for practice Monday ahead of his first contest against his former Philly team Tuesday night, there’s plenty of reasons not to give up on the hometown skater entirely. With around a month until this year’s playoffs, there’s time enough to fine tune his position and find where he clicks. Making his return to the postseason half a decade after putting on a show in his last go, this veteran has the potential to quiet his critics and prove his worth when it matters most.