It's not just Laughton who's had success in the face-off dot this season; all of the Maple Leafs' four centers have a winning percentage above 50 percent.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a dramatic season thus far, but one area has remained consistent: face-off success.
No team in the NHL has been better than the Maple Leafs this year. And Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Nicolas Roy, and Scott Laughton are putting on an absolute clinic against their opponents, night after night.
Each is well above 50 percent in the face-off dot this season, and three of Toronto's four centers are within the top 15 of the NHL in win percentage (among players who've taken over 300 face-offs this season).
Scott Laughton sits third. John Tavares sits eighth. Auston Matthews sits 11th. Nicolas Roy sits 33rd in the league, however, he still has a success rate of 54.3 percent.
3. Laughton - 62.3% (has won 192 of 308 face-offs)
8. Tavares - 59.1% (has won 404 of 684 face-offs)
11. Matthews - 58.3% (has won 368 of 631 face-offs)
33. Roy - 54.3% (has won 255 of 470 face-offs)
The two players above Laughton: the Winnipeg Jets' Jonathan Toews (62.9 percent) and the Ottawa Senators' Claude Giroux (64.9 percent).
The story as of late, though, hasn't been Toronto's overall success in the face-off circle. It's been Laughton's increased effectiveness, especially over the last two games, dating back to his return to Philadelphia.
Laughton has gone 36 for 42 in the face-off dot over the last two games, an 85.7 percent success rate. Twenty-six of those face-offs have come at even strength, while 16 have come on the penalty kill. He's only lost six times — four at even strength, and two while the opposition has a power play.
"It's a great weapon," said Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube after Toronto's 5-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.
"We're a good face-off team, but he's been on a roll, especially on the penalty kill. He starts on his off side a lot, but he wins them a lot, which is huge. Gets the puck down the ice, kills the momentum of the power play a little bit. He's been very effective."
No one has taken, or won, more shorthanded face-offs over the last two games than Laughton. As a matter of fact, among players who've taken 30 or more face-offs since Jan. 7, not a single one has a better win percentage than Laughton.
"I mean, he's doing something crazy the past couple of games," chuckled William Nylander.
If you're surprised by Toronto's face-off success, you really shouldn't be. The Maple Leafs have actually been one of the league's top face-off teams for quite some time. They've finished among the top five in each of the last four seasons.
Believe it or not, if you combine all the face-offs taken since the 2015-16 season, Toronto still ranks first in win percentage at 52.6 percent.
This season, however, feels different.
It seems that Berube is comfortable with whoever is out taking the face-off, whether it's Matthews, Tavares, Roy, or Laughton. That's a positive right now, no doubt, but if the Maple Leafs can squeeze into the playoffs, their face-off strength will be their biggest advantage.