The Los Angeles Kings’ projected third line for 2027 features Alex Laferriere, Scott Laughton and Trevor Moore, but those three won’t be carrying the same offensive load.
Laughton is the clearest case of a player whose value goes beyond the scoresheet. He’s played fewer than 25 games with Los Angeles, so this will be his first season entering the year as a King.
That matters because the expectations are different. The Kings brought him in at the deadline to help a penalty kill that sat 30th, and that’s been the kind of role he’s built his NHL career around.
Laughton has leaned on his penalty-kill work and two-way game for years, and offense has never been his calling card. He has topped 40 points just once in his NHL career, so in the bottom six, production won’t be the main thing asked of the 31-year-old.
Among the three projected third-line forwards, he’s the one most likely to finish with the fewest points.
Moore sits in a different bucket. Even if he’s listed on the third line, he profiles more like a middle-six scorer than a true bottom-six piece.
He remains a key goal producer whether he’s skating on the second or third line. His 31 goals in 2024 led all Kings skaters, and while his scoring has dipped - he’s been under 20 goals in each of the past two seasons - he still finished among Los Angeles’ top seven goal scorers in both of those years.
Laferriere is the wildcard in the mix. He may not even stay on the third line, since there’s a strong chance he gets bumped up to the second line.
His career has followed a steady upward track every season, and that trend could keep going. If he does remain on the third line, he has the best chance of being the most productive of the three.
In Other News...
Kings Rookie Camp Puts Three Prospects Under Early Pressure
The Kings are kicking off rookie camp on Sept. 11 with an open practice at the Toyota Sports Performance Center, giving the organization its first real look at a group that should set the tone for the weeks ahead. The schedule moves quickly from there, with three Rookie Faceoff games on tap from Sept. 12 to 15 against the Sharks, Ducks and Utah Mammoth, a useful early test before the full preseason picture comes into focus.
Among the players expected to be in the mix are Jared Wright, Kenny Connors and Henry Brzustewicz, three prospects who will get a chance to show they can handle the pace and pressure that comes with a longer look. For a team trying to sort out which young players are ready to push for NHL roles, this camp is more than a formality, and the next few days should offer an early sense of who is making the strongest case. [Read more 🡒]