Los Angeles Kings forward Scott Laughton posted a goodbye post on Twitter hours after he was traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the deadline.

The post includes two photos where Laughton got to see his wife and kid during warmups from two separate games, one from the 2025 playoffs and another from earlier this season. “Thank you Toronto. Dream come true,” he wrote in the post.

Laughton was traded to the Kings for a conditional third-round pick on Friday, with the condition being that it will become a second-round pick if the Kings qualify for the 2026 playoffs. He had eight goals and 12 points in 43 career games for the Leafs across two seasons, along with two assists in 13 playoff games last year.

Primarily used as the Leafs’ fourth-line centre and on the penalty kill, Laughton quickly endeared himself to his teammates and the fans during his brief time in Toronto. After struggling through two injuries that derailed the start of his season, he emerged as the team’s go-to shutdown forward and a major reason why their penalty kill was among the best in the NHL prior to his departure. There was a two-game stretch where he won 36 of 40 faceoffs, including a dominant showing in his first game back in Philadelphia, where he won 19 of 20 faceoffs on the night and added a shorthanded tally for good measure.

“He’s been nothing but good to me. I haven’t known him long, but probably wouldn’t be the person I am right now without him,” Easton Cowan said after Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers on Laughton. “Just a great teammate, and it’s obviously really unfortunate.”

The Leafs originally acquired him at the 2025 Trade Deadline from the Philadelphia Flyers along with a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick in exchange for forward Nikita Grebenkin and a first-round pick in 2027. The first round pick the Leafs dealt was top-10 protected, while the Flyers agreed to retain 50% of Laughton’s cap hit for the remaining two seasons of the deal. The initial trade appeared to be quite steep, which makes the subsequent trade at the deadline a bit of a letdown.

Laughton won’t have to wait long to play against his former team for the first time as the Kings host the Leafs on April 4th.