The NHL’s trade deadline is officially complete, and while the Los Angeles Kings didn’t have a loud day on Friday, they made some moves.
Though these trades aren’t franchise-altering by any means, Kings GM Ken Holland deserves some credit for what he’s done, and here’s why.
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For starters, back on Feb. 4, he made a grand addition, bringing in superstar left winger Artemi Panarin. While it wasn’t technically a deal that was made at the trade deadline, the Kings only lost prospect Liam Greentree and a couple of conditional draft picks, none of which were first-rounders.
Fast-forward to Thursday, when Holland sent left winger Warren Foegele to the Ottawa Senators for a 2026 second-round pick that belongs to the Buffalo Sabres, and swapped third-round picks filtered with several conditions.
On Friday’s deadline day, the Kings made a pair of moves. The first trade was sending right winger Corey Perry to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick.
“When Tampa called, it was (Perry’s) decision,” Holland told reporters in a press conference. “He wanted to go there, so we got a second-round pick.”
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With the Foegele and Perry trades, as well as the Phillip Danault deal with the Montreal Canadiens back in December, Los Angeles has six second-round picks for the next three drafts, including three for 2026.
‘I Had No Purpose’: Danault Speaks For The First Time Since Trade From The Kings
“Coming into the deadline… I wanted to try and get another pick or two for our scouts,” Holland said. ” I think it’s important that we got to continue to draft, try to get some young players in the organization.”
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Later in the day, not long before the 12 p.m. PST cutoff, Los Angeles acquired center Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs. That trade costs the team a 2026 third-round pick, which becomes a second-rounder if the Kings make the playoffs.
“Laughton’s a veteran guy,” the Kings GM mentioned. “He’s a center iceman, he can kill penalties, wins draws, competitive, and just gives us more depth.”
Los Angeles Kings Acquire Center Scott Laughton From Toronto Maple Leafs
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Trades weren’t the only moves that Holland made on Friday. The Kings signed right winger Mathieu Joseph to a one-year contract through the remainder of this season at a $900,000 cap hit.
On Thursday, Joseph was placed on waivers by the St. Louis Blues for the purpose of contract termination and became a UFA on Friday.
Los Angeles’ GM said that head coach D.J. Smith is familiar with Joseph from their time with the Senators’ organization. Joseph’s best seasons were under Smith, including in 2023-24 when he recorded a career-high 35 points, registering 11 goals and 24 assists.
While it may seem like a boring and bleak addition, it’s a more sensible move than some may think.
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The Kings departed from Foegele and Perry just before the deadline, meaning there were two holes in the bottom-six forward group.
Scott Laughton (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)
One was filled with the acquisition of Laughton, and the other with Joseph. But there’s more of an explanation behind this decision, specifically between Foegele and Joseph.
Joseph, 29, and one year younger than Foegele, has scored more points than the former King this season.
Joseph has two goals and 11 points in 39 appearances, while Foegele has seven goals and nine points in 47 games.
Furthermore, Joseph comes at a much lower cap hit than Foegele’s $3.5 million. Not to mention, Foegele fetched the Kings a second-round pick for the upcoming draft, while Joseph was brought in for no exchange of assets and a low cap hit.
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Essentially, Holland grabbed a second-rounder for an underachieving Foegele while acquiring another player of a similar position with no assets, and is outperforming Foegele in terms of offensive production.
In summary, the Kings’ GM was crafty and looked to bring in the most value that he could with the assets he had. The team brings in a handful of draft picks for the future, while slightly upgrading their personnel up front with Laughton and Joseph over and underperforming Foegele and an aging pending UFA in Perry.
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