TORONTO — The trade out of the only NHL sweater he’d ever known. The pressure of delivering for his hometown team, after it shelled out a first-round pick and intriguing prospect to bring him in. The rush of post-season hockey after five long springs without.

For Scott Laughton, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs at full speed on deadline day was a lot.

A lot of stress. A lot of new.

A lot of adjustment. A lot of criticism.

Also: A helluva lot of fun.

“It was a long time since I had the hair stick up on my arms, and you get that feeling,” says Laughton, standing outside the Maple Leafs’ west-end practice facility, a short commute from his Oakville, Ont., roots.

The 12-year veteran is bubbling with a rookie’s excitement.

“There’s nothing like it when you play in the playoffs and you get

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