In a 1-on-1 conversation with The Hockey News on Sunday, Scott Laughton reflects on his trade to the Los Angeles Kings, his former team's lack of response to the hit on their captain, the pressure of playing in Toronto and the possibility of re-joining the Leafs down the road.
Scott Laughton has always been a player who views the game through a lens of collective accountability. Even after swapping a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater for the silver and black of the Los Angeles Kings, the veteran forward hasn’t stopped keeping tabs on the players he departed.
Just six days after the Laughton was dealt to the Kings in exchange for a conditional third-round draft pick in 2026 (turns into a second-rounder if the Kings make the playoffs), Laughton saw Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas extended his knee into Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, a hit that effectively ended the Toronto captain’s season. The immediate response from the Leafs on the ice was notably absent, something that surprised Laughton.
“Yeah, a little bit,” Laughton admitted in a 1-on-1 conversation with The Hockey News following Kings practice on Sunday. “Sometimes you're a little in shock and sometimes it doesn't happen. It gets a lot of attention, maybe more than normal. But at the same time, the way they have responded in the last couple of games… you're kind of hoping it would happen earlier, but it didn't”.
Laughton noted that while Morgan Rielly had spoken about the incident in the immediate aftermath, the visual of a captain going down without an immediate physical rebuttal is a difficult one for a team to navigate.
“I can only speak on those guys. They care, they want to help out and all of those guys,” Laughton said. “So, it's a hard situation”.
The player did love seeing Easton Cowan, a player whom he mentored while in Toronto, immediately drop the glove to go after Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov, shortly after the Russian hit Maple Leafs forward John Tavares from behind along the corner boards. But outside of that, Laughton has primarily focused on what’s trying to do with the Kings.
The contrast between Laughton’s "playoff brand" of hockey and the current state of the Maple Leafs is stark. While Toronto has struggled with what head coach Craig Berube called a "lack of compete" during a listless stretch that has seen them slide to the fifth-worst points percentage in the league, Laughton has looked like a player revitalized. Much of that can be attributed to the familiarity behind the Kings’ bench. D.J. Smith, who coached Laughton during his junior days when the forward put up a 40-goal season, has wasted no time putting the veteran in positions to succeed.
In Toronto, Laughton often found himself buried in a fourth-line center role, primarily tasked with penalty killing. In Los Angeles, he has graduated to the third-line center spot and is a fixture on the second power-play unit, living up to the type of contributions that Leafs fans and Laughton expected of himself.
“He’s given me a great opportunity, so I can't really ask for anything more with him,” Laughton said of Smith. “I think just playing a little bit more freely, the comfortability, and a little bit of everything”.
Smith has been equally impressed with the reunion, citing Laughton’s "infectious personality" and his ability to win key draws.
“I think he has way more offense than people give him credit for,” Smith said. “Second unit power play here doesn't get a lot of time with the top guys, but I have no hesitation. He’s made a play or two every night on the power play offensively. I think he's a really good player in our league”.
While Laughton is settled now, the path to Los Angeles was anything but smooth. The 2026 trade deadline was the most stressful of his career, primarily due to the timing of the paperwork.
“3 p.m. hit, I talked to my agent and I thought if I didn't hear by 4 I wouldn't be moved but that's when they let me know paperwork had been submitted,” Laughton recalled.
The deal wasn't officially approved until 5:30 p.m., leaving Laughton in a state of limbo at the airport for two hours as he waited for confirmation to fly to his new life in California.
Laughton’s time as a Leaf was shorter than he had hoped. He arrived last season with the expectation of a long playoff push, but injuries and a changing team dynamic saw him moved before he could truly establish what he wanted to be in Toronto.
Despite what he described as a "weird" transition of playing for three teams in less than a year, Laughton hasn't closed the door on a return to Toronto. As he approaches unrestricted free agency this summer, the possibility of a second act in Toronto remains on the table.
“I loved playing there. It was so cool,” Laughton said. “Whatever happens, happens if that's an opening I see fit. But at the same time they've given me great opportunity here and I'm hoping to hang on to it”.
One thing Laughton won’t let bother him is the supposed "pressure" of the Toronto market and he hasn’t bought into the narrative that’s been going around that it’s a difficult market to play in.
“No. No. It's what you make of it,” he said firmly. “Being 31 coming back home as an established guy you know how to keep your circle small and you go from there. It's not even the media it's more my family and friends that come with it”.
In 12 games with the Kings, Laughton has three goals and two assists, while avering 16:07 of ice time, nearly 2.5 minutes more per game than what he averaged in 43 games with the Leafs this season.