Scott Laughton gave the Kings a clear look at what he can do after arriving from the Toronto Maple Leafs around the trade deadline, and the early read was exactly the kind of steady, useful veteran presence Los Angeles wanted.
He got into 21 games with the Kings last regular season and settled into a role that fit him well. Laughton was used as a defensive-minded third-line center after Phillip Danault was traded to the Montreal Canadiens this past regular season, and he brought depth down the middle, experience for the stretch run, and a locker-room presence that worked in the forward group.
The numbers from 2025-26 show a split season. In 64 games overall, including 21 with Los Angeles, Laughton finished with 13 goals, 7 assists, and 20 points, along with a -5 rating.
For the Kings specifically, he posted five goals, three assists, and eight points. His advanced metrics included a 13.7 shooting percentage, 11.1 5-on-5 shooting percentage, 1.3 points/60, 1.7 point shares, and 1.0 WAR.
With Los Angeles, his possession numbers were 49.8 CF%, 50.2 SCF%, 99.6 PDO, and 53.1 HDCF%.
He made his mark right away. Laughton scored in his Kings debut and followed that with a two-point game in his second appearance.
That immediate production gave way to a more familiar support role. He handled third-line center duties, killed penalties, took faceoffs, and even chipped in on the second power-play unit at times. The Kings also trusted him in the defensive zone and occasionally put him out for the opening draw in overtime before loading up with more offensive options.
The postseason was a different story. Laughton did not record a point in the Kings’ four-game first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.
Looking ahead to 2026-27, the expectation is that he’ll open on the third line with Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere. That combination gives him room to stay in the lane he knows best: defend first, win draws, forecheck, help on the penalty kill, and add some secondary offense when the chances are there.
His role matters even more after Anze Kopitar’s retirement this offseason. No one player can replace everything Kopitar brought to Los Angeles, but Laughton gives new head coach Peter Laviolette another experienced center who can handle tough defensive-zone work, take important faceoffs, and contribute on the penalty kill.
The Kings also made a long-term statement by re-signing him to a three-year, $10.5 million contract with an average annual value of around $3.5 million. That deal says plenty about how they view him: not as a quick fix, but as part of the plan.
Offensively, a season in the range of 10-15 goals and 25-30 points would count as a solid first full year in Los Angeles. Laughton hasn’t reached 40 points since his career-high 43 with the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2022-23 season, so the Kings aren’t counting on a big scoring jump. What they’re counting on is the same thing they saw down the stretch: a dependable center who can do a little bit of everything and do it the right way.
In Other News...
Kings Camp Opens With Pressure On LA's Next Core
Training camp is about to give the Kings their first real look at life after Anze Kopitar, and the attention will fall quickly on the younger names expected to help shape the next phase. Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke are set to carry more responsibility, while Darcy Kuemper appears penciled in as the starter in goal as the preseason schedule begins to take form.
Behind the scenes, the new direction under Peter Laviolette adds another layer to the opening days, with camp serving as the first chance to sort out how the roster fits together. One of the sharper competitions will be in net, where Anton Forsberg and Erik Portillo are battling for the backup job, a decision that could say plenty about how the Kings want to balance stability now with development for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Fans Still Remember This Talented Signing That Never Worked Out
When the Kings brought in Andreas Athanasiou on a one-year deal in the 2020 offseason, it looked like the kind of low-risk swing that could pay off in a hurry. He had the speed and finishing ability to give Los Angeles another dynamic element up front, and in the 2020-21 season he showed flashes of exactly that, scoring 10 goals and finishing with 23 points in 47 games.
The frustrating part for the Kings was never really about talent, but about availability. Over two seasons, injuries kept interrupting his rhythm and prevented him from building the kind of sustained stretch that would have made his signing feel like a true fit. Athanasiou remained one of those reminders that upside alone does not guarantee a lasting impact, especially for a team trying to turn promising skill into consistent production. [Read more 🡒]