After a crazy couple of weeks of trades and the 2026 NHL Draft, the Los Angeles Kings and general manager Ken Holland are preparing for the start of unrestricted free agency on July 1.
In this past few weeks, we've seen plenty of speculation regarding whether veteran center Scott Laughton could remain in Los Angeles, but a new report indicates that he is unlikely to re-sign with the Kings when the free agent window opens this morning.
Mayors Manor reported on July 1 that Laughton is "not likely" to re-sign with the Kings when the unrestricted free agent window opens later today.
"The interest level is high for me, for sure. The opportunity I was given here, the guys, the staff, everyone, the way I was treated."Scott Laughton
At one point not too long ago, it was being reported and discussed that Laughton and the Kings were likely to reach a contract extension deal before free agency opened on July 1. And I want to say that there is at least a chance that Laughton could re-sign with the Kings later today.
But a quote from a press conference this past week from Holland showed less certainty in the Kings being able to re-sign either Laughton or fellow impending free agent forward Andrei Kuzmenko this offseason when he said he's "not sure" if they'll be back next season in Los Angeles.
Laughton's price on the open market has probably exceeded what Holland and the Kings were hoping to pay for him in previous discussions this past spring.
If Laughton's asking price is too high at this point, it does make sense for the Kings to let him walk in free agency. There are other unrestricted free agents at the center position who could bring the type of depth and two-way versatility in Laughton's game this offseason.
This report from Mayors Manor also indicates that the Kings could potentially target former Ottawa Senators veteran forward Claude Giroux when the free agency market opens later today. That would be a notable storyline worth monitoring for the Kings this offseason.
If we do see Laughton leave the Kings this offseason, center depth would become an even bigger priority for Holland to deal with. When free agency opens today, the Kings and Holland won't have a ton of time to find other capable veteran centers of filling that role either.
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