2025-26 Kings Acquired Players and How They Impacted the Team

The Kings were a team that made trades throughout the season up to the trade deadline. They traded away Phillip Danault in December and then both Warren Foegele and Corey Perry in March. While those trades saw the Kings send away players, they also made a couple of trades in which they received players. Now that the season is over, it's possible to see how the new players impacted the team. 

The first player the Kings went after was Artemi Panarin, who was traded from the New York Rangers in exchange for Liam Greentree and a conditional 2026 3rd-round pick and a 2028 4th-round pick. The Kings wanted Panarin for his offensive abilities, and that's where they needed to improve the most, so this trade made sense for addressing their problems. Panarin, in 52 games with New York before coming to Los Angeles, registered 19 goals, 38 assists for 57 points. 

Artemi Panarin showed consistency, and after being traded to the Kings in his short season with them, he played in 26 games, registering 9 goals, 18 assists for 27 points, and would add 3 points in 4 playoff games. Panarin made an immediate impact for the Kings and helped address a problem within the Kings' offence. With Panarin signed for 2 years, he will continue to make a positive impact on the Kings' offence. 

The second player the Kings acquired was Scott Laughton, who was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2026 conditional 3rd round pick. Laughton, with the Leafs, played in 43 games and recorded 8 goals and 4 assists for 12 points. Laughton played a depth role on the Leafs, and that's what the Kings wanted him to do when they acquired him, as they wanted a stronger bottom 6 as they prepared for the playoffs. 

During his time with the Kings, Laughton played in 21 games, scoring 5 goals and adding 3 assists for 8 points. Laughton also had a strong impact on the Kings, especially on their depth, and heading into the offseason, the Kings have expressed interest in bringing him back. 

Overall, the 2 players the Kings acquired throughout the 2025-26 season made positive impacts for the team and with Panarin starting his first year of a 2 year deal next season and the Kings having interest in bringing Laughton back, it shows that the Kings can make meaningful trades that benefit the team and heading into the offseason, there is opportunity for more trades like those to be made.