The Los Angeles Kings have clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and with that, the Toronto Maple Leafs will receive a second round pick from the Scott Laughton trade.
After an incredibly up-and-down 2025-26 regular season, the Los Angeles Kings are headed back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
The Kings defeated the Seattle Kraken on Monday night by a score of 5-3 to clinch a spot in the top eight of the western conference. Their final seeding and matchup has yet to be determined.
However, they will not be the only team to live off of the benefits of a playoff berth. The Toronto Maple Leafs will officially receive a second round pick instead of a third due to the Kings reaching the postseason.
The Scott Laughton trade has seemed to be a win-win for both parties involved.
The Maple Leafs get solid value out of a bottom-six forward, even though they gave up a haul to acquire him at the 2025 trade deadline. They manage to recoup a little more value with a second rounder.
As for the Kings, they will happily hand the draft pick over to Toronto because it means they get another crack at trying to win their first playoff series since 2014 when they raised Lord Stanley for the second time.
Laughton, 31, has been an unsung hero for the Kings, providing crucial secondary scoring. In 19 games as a King, he has five goals, and three assists for eight points. The production is good enough, but the veteran center has earned his flowers for his ability to win possession of the puck.
Since he began dawning the silver and black, the pending UFA leads the team with a 59.6% face-off win rate. If he can continue his success at the dot, and continue to provide solid secondary scoring, he will play a large role in any success the Kings have this spring.
If Laughton impresses in the postseason, and the Kings can find a way to bring him back this summer, the second round pick that the team had to part with will be an afterthought, if it isn't already.
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