Down the stretch this past regular season, the Los Angeles Kings got a good look at veteran center Scott Laughton, who played 21 games with the team after coming over from the Toronto Maple Leafs around the trade deadline.
Laughton helped add more veteran depth in the middle of the lineup and gave the Kings valuable, proven experience for the postseason down the stretch in the regular season. He was a natural fit in the locker room and in the forward group for the Kings this past regular season.
He was mostly utilized as a defensive-first third-line center after the void that was left open by Phillip Danault, who was traded to the Montreal Canadiens this past regular season.
Scott Laughton 2025-26 player season recap
2025-26 season stats: 64 games played (21 /w Kings), 13 goals (5), 7 assists (3), 20 points (8), -5 (-2)
2025-26 advanced stats: 13.7 shooting %, 11.1 5-on-5 shooting %, 1.3 points/60, 1.7 point shares, 1.0 WAR
2025-26 possession metrics (with Kings): 49.8 CF%, 50.2 SCF%, 99.6 PDO, 53.1 HDCF%
In the 2025-26 season, Laughton posted five goals, three assists, and eight total points in 21 games played for the Kings.
Right after the Kings acquired him from the Maple Leafs this past regular season, Laughton made an immediate impact on the team. He scored in his Kings debut and he posted two points in his second game.
He filled a valuable role in the middle-six forward group for the Kings down the stretch this past regular season. Laughton was used as a third-line center, penalty killer, faceoff specialist, and occasionally as a depth player on special teams on the power play with the second unit. He was also trusted to take defensive-zone draws, and he was even used in some games to take the opening faceoff in overtime before getting more offensive players onto the ice.
Laughton's offensive production didn't carry over into the postseason, though. He was held without a point in the Kings' first-round playoff matchup in four games against the Colorado Avalanche.
Scott Laughton 2026-27 Los Angeles Kings season preview
We have projected Laughton to play on the third forward line this upcoming season alongside wingers Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere. This is a pretty versatile group that can help Laughton excel in what he does best on both ends of the ice.
Laughton won't have to be asked to generate the offense and be the primary playmaker on that line. Instead, Laferriere and Moore can provide most of the scoring chance generation, while Laughton gives the Kings a defensively responsible center who wins draws, forechecks, kills penalties, and can contribute some secondary offense.
The versatility Laughton brings to the table should be even more important following the retirement of Anze Kopitar this offseason. No individual player is going to replace everything that Kopitar did for the Kings, but Laughton at least gives new head coach Peter Laviolette another experienced center who can handle difficult defensive-zone assignments, take important faceoffs, and contribute to special teams on the penalty kill.
The Kings also made it clear this summer that they view Laughton as more than a short-term addition. After acquiring him around the trade deadline, the Kings re-signed the veteran two-way center to a three-year, $10.5 million contract that carries around a $3.5 million average annual value.
From an offensive standpoint, somewhere around 10-15 goals and at least 25-30 total points would be a productive first full season for Laughton in Los Angeles. He hasn't reached the 40-point mark since registering a career-high 43 points with the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2022-23 season, so the Kings shouldn't be expecting him to have a big offensive breakout at this point in his career.
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