The Toronto Maple Leafs have made another buzzer-beater move at the NHL Trade Deadline, sending forward Scott Laughton to Los Angeles Kings for a conditional third round pick, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The pick will become a second-rounder if the Kings make the playoffs.

Laughton was previously acquired by the Maple Leafs from the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2025 Trade Deadline. The price was a hefty one, with a first-round pick and prospect Nikita Grebenkin among the return, but there was hope that Laughton would fill a third-line utility role for the Leafs and give them a boost for their playoff run.

The Maple Leafs and Laughton reportedly engaged in extension talks in the months leading up to the deadline, but with no agreement by the time the deadline came around and the Leafs far out of a playoff spot, the Maple Leafs and general manager Brad Treliving decided to cash out on what they could due to Laughton’s unrestricted free agent status. Laughton was scratched from each of the Maple Leafs’ two remaining games before the deadline, along with Bobby McMann, who was traded to Seattle, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who appears to be safe from a move.

While the move makes sense on paper, it will no doubt be a loss both on the ice and in the dressing room for the Maple Leafs. Forward Easton Cowan, who’s a rookie in 2025-26, spoke on Wednesday about the possibility of Laughton being traded.

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,” Cowan said postgame on Wednesday to the media. “Just a great teammate, and it’s obviously really unfortunate.”

Laughton had eight goals and 12 points in 43 games for the Maple Leafs and will now look to make a last-minute push for the Cup alongside a Kings team trying to give Anze Kopitar one last playoff run. They lost Kevin Fiala to injury at the Olympics, which is a big blow, but previously made a move to indicate their push by acquiring star forward Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers.

The Maple Leafs will resume their season on Saturday with a different-looking lineup after the moves involving Laughton, McMann, and Nicolas Roy.

The 2026 Trade Deadline Special is going LIVE March 6th. Join the Daily Faceoff crew on Friday, March 6th, from 11 AM-3:30 PM ET for wall-to-wall coverage of every single move as it happens. Get instant reaction, expert analysis, and exclusive insights from special guests throughout the day. Tune in LIVE on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and don’t miss a second of deadline day chaos.