Maple Leafs trade Laughton to Kings

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded forward Scott Laughton to the Los Angeles Kings for a third-round pick that upgrades to a second-rounder if the Kings make the playoffs, the teams announced.

Toronto will receive Buffalo's second-round pick if the conditions are met.

Los Angeles is three points back of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 21 games remaining.

Laughton is a pending unrestricted free agent carrying a cap hit of $3 million. The Maple Leafs acquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers before last year's trade deadline for a package including a first-round pick.

The 31-year-old has recorded 12 points in 43 games this season while averaging 13:40 per contest. Laughton is known for his defensive presence as a depth center and has won 56.7% of his faceoffs in 2025-26.

The Kings acquired Artemi Panarin prior to the Olympic break and shipped Corey Perry to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.

On track to miss the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, the Maple Leafs also sold forwards Nicolas Roy and Bobby McMann in separate deals before the deadline.