The Los Angeles Kings kept the pen moving on July 1, signing forward Scott Laughton to a three-year contract extension worth $10.5 million total. That’s a $3.5 million cap hit per season, keeping him in LA through the 2028-29 campaign.
It was already a busy day for the Kings before the Laughton news dropped. They brought Corey Perry back for a second stint after trading him to Tampa Bay last season. They also signed Mats Zuccarello away from Minnesota and grabbed Erik Haula from Nashville. So adding Laughton to the mix just rounds out what looks like a serious retool up front.
Laughton has had a winding path to this point. The Flyers drafted him 20th overall in 2012 out of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. He debuted that same season in a handful of games but didn’t become a full-time NHL regular until 2017-18, when he played 81 games and put up 10 goals and 10 assists. He eventually wore an alternate captain’s ‘A’ in Philadelphia.
His career highlight came in December 2024, when he scored four goals in a single game against the Detroit Red Wings. That outburst was a rare peak for a guy who has always been more of a reliable two-way grinder than a pure scorer.
The Flyers eventually moved him at the 2025 trade deadline, sending him to Toronto. Laughton played 43 games with the Maple Leafs in 2025-26 before they flipped him to Los Angeles for a conditional third-round pick in the 2026 draft.
So far in 745 career NHL games, Laughton has 121 goals and 168 assists. In the playoffs, he’s added six goals and six assists over 41 games. Not eye-popping numbers, but the Kings clearly value his versatility and experience in a bottom-six role.
Ken Holland, the Kings’ general manager, has now locked up one of his key forwards for the long haul. The extension gives LA some stability in the middle of their lineup, especially with a guy who can kill penalties, win faceoffs, and slide up the lineup when needed.
The deal isn’t flashy, but it’s the kind of move contenders make in July — quietly solidifying the depth chart while bigger names get the headlines.
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