Kings Re-Sign Scott Laughton to a 3-Year Deal

The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed center Scott Laughton to a three-year contract worth $10.5 million, carrying an average annual value of $3.5 million, according to Elliotte Friedman.

Laughton was drafted 20th overall in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. The now-32-year-old made his NHL debut and played five games for the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2012-13 season. He went on to play 11 more seasons with the Flyers before he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2025 Deadline. He was traded again at the 2026 Deadline, from the Maple Leafs to the Los Angeles Kings.

Production Consistent, But Slowly Dropping

Back in 2022-23, Laughton set career highs of 18 goals and 43 points in 78 games, while averaging a career-high 18 minutes per game. Since then, he has never been trusted with many minutes, so in some respect, it is expected. As a result, we have seen his point production dwindle season over season to the point where he finished last season with 13 goals and only 20 points across 64 games between the Maple Leafs and the Kings.

However, even though the point totals have dropped, his goal-scoring has remained consistent, with 13 goals in each of the last three seasons. While the numbers aren’t eye-popping, this is still valuable production in a depth role from a guy who does so many other little things no other players do.

Kings Know What They’re Getting in Laughton

With Laughton, there is not much to question in his game. You know you’re not getting a flashy offensive-play driver but rather a guy whose motor is always running; he plays hard and physical in the dirty areas of the ice and has sound defensive positioning.

He creates high-danger shots above at an above-average rate, which has led to his consistent finishing and a shooting percentage of 10% or higher in five of the last six seasons. As a center, he has been okay in the faceoff circle over the course of his career, winning draws at a 50.7% rate. However, to his credit, he ranked 14th in faceoff percentage this season (minimum 100 faceoffs), winning 57.7% of the 758 faceoffs he took.

He also adds value on the penalty kill and has spent 115 minutes or more killing penalties in every season since 2021-22. As a depth shutdown option, there aren’t many more reliable options than Laughton. It’s a smart move by the Kings to keep him around with Anze Kopitar now retired.