The Los Angeles Kings have acquired star winger Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers in a blockbuster deal, the staff introduced on Wednesday. The commerce hypothesis round Panarin picked up when the Rangers made him a wholesome scratch for trade-related causes forward of their Jan. 28 recreation in opposition to the New York Islanders, and the Russian playmaker is now on the transfer.

In change for Panarin, the Kings are sending ahead prospect and former first-round choose Liam Greentree, plus a conditional third-round choose again to the Rangers. New York can even retain 50% of Panarin’s $11.6 million wage as a part of the deal. Instantly following the deal, the Kings introduced that Panarin had signed a two-year contract extension price $11 per season. That deal will kick in subsequent yr and run by the 2027-28 marketing campaign.

Even at 34 years outdated, Panarin stays one of many NHL’s premier wingers. He led the Rangers in each assists (38) and factors (57), and he is put up some eye-popping numbers all through his profession. Since getting into the league in 2015-16, Panarin ranks fourth in assists (606) and fifth in factors (927). Simply two seasons in the past, Panarin completed fifth in Hart Trophy voting when he tallied 120 factors and led the Rangers to the Presidents’ Trophy.

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Panarin was within the remaining yr of his contract with the Rangers, which carried a cap hit of simply over $11.6 million. That was a serious cause the Rangers selected to half methods with Panarin, who would have commanded important cash on his subsequent deal and certain needs one other crack at a Stanley Cup. New York, in the meantime, simply introduced it’s getting into a “retool” part because it performs out the stretch in a disappointing 2025-26 marketing campaign.

Now in his eleventh NHL season, Panarin started his profession after signing a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks straight out of the KHL. In his rookie season, Panarin tallied 30 objectives en path to profitable the Calder Trophy. He recorded one other 30-goal season in Chicago the next season earlier than getting traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summertime of 2017.

Panarin performed simply two seasons in Columbus, however he nonetheless holds the franchise data for single-season assists (59) and factors (87). He was an integral a part of the 2018-19 Blue Jackets staff that surprised the Presidents’ Trophy winner Tampa Bay Lightning with a first-round sweep.

Simply months after that sequence, Panarin signed a large seven-year take care of the Rangers, and he lived as much as that contract with 205 objectives and 402 assists in 482 video games.

Now let’s take a look at how the Kings and Rangers every made out with this deal, which is able to absolutely reverberate all through the NHL.

The commerce

• Kings obtain: F Artemi Panarin (50% retained)
• Rangers obtain: Conditional third-round choose, F Liam Greentree

The grades

Los Angeles Kings

If anybody has adopted together with the NHL Energy Rankings, they understand how a lot I detest watching the Kings offense function. Solely 4 groups rating at a decrease fee than Los Angeles, and there was a critical want for extra firepower on the high of the lineup. Corey Perry, on the spry age of 40, was fourth on the staff in objectives with 11. That was simply two behind Alex Laferriere for third.

An elite defensive staff, the Kings wanted a participant of Panarin’s caliber in the event that they had been going to compete for a Stanley Cup, and now they have him. Panarin can do some little bit of all the things at a excessive stage, from distributing the puck to set off males on his line to scoring objectives himself. Simply take a look at what he is accomplished within the earlier two seasons.

From 2023-25, Panarin ranked sixth in objectives (86) and eighth in assists (128). Even in a “down” yr — each for himself and the Rangers — Panarin is on an 82-game tempo of 29 objectives and 59 assists. The Kings, in the meantime, have not had a participant high 80 factors since Anze Kopitar totaled 92 in 2017-18. Panarin must also present a wonderful enhance to the Twenty ninth-ranked Los Angeles energy play. Since Panarin entered the league in 2015-16, solely 5 gamers have put up extra factors than him (265) on the person benefit.

What Kings coach Jim Hiller can not do on this scenario is attempt to hammer a sq. peg right into a spherical gap. Whereas Panarin is a a lot better defender than he will get credit score for, Hiller cannot remove the winger’s offensive creativity for the sake of constructing him play a inflexible defensive construction. If something, Hiller ought to put Panarin on a line with Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe and provides them the liberty to take some dangers. Byfield could be the retriever, Panarin the facilitator and Kempe the shooter.

With regards to acquisition price, this was a slam dunk for the Kings. Not solely is Panarin a fantastic match price a king’s ransom, however L.A. did not even have to mortgage the longer term, and the staff nonetheless received him at 50% of his wage. Due to Panarin’s no-movement clause, the Kings acquired an elite ahead for a conditional third-round choose and an excellent — although possibly not elite — prospect. The 2-year extension at an AAV of $11 million can also be a very simple tablet to swallow as a result of it is arduous to see Panarin falling off a cliff between now and the tip of that deal. This was nice work by normal supervisor Ken Holland. Grade: A+

New York Rangers

Look, Rangers normal supervisor Chris Drury was in a tricky spot right here. Panarin had full management of his vacation spot, and that made it practically not possible for the Rangers to recoup something resembling honest worth. To be clear, that is not any knock on Panarin. His play previous to the summer time of 2019 warranted a giant take care of commerce safety, and Panarin greater than held up his finish of the cut price all through his seven seasons in New York. That is simply the danger groups run once they hand out a clause like that.

Greentree is definitely essentially the most attention-grabbing a part of this return. The No. 26 total choose within the 2024 NHL Draft, Greentree is a large winger who’s proven some high-end offensive capacity on the junior stage. Final season, he ranked third within the OHL with 119 factors in 64 video games earlier than posting 24 factors in 11 playoff video games. Greentree has come again to Earth a bit in 2025-26 with 45 factors in 34 video games, however he was nonetheless ranked because the Kings’ high prospect by The Athletic.

The conditional third-round choose is fairly underwhelming — even when it will probably develop into a second-round choose ought to the Kings win a playoff spherical. Even with Panarin holding all of the leverage, the Rangers could not squeeze a assured first- or second-round select of the Kings? It is virtually unparalleled for a participant like Panarin to not command a first-round choose in return, even in these particular circumstances.

Panarin was New York’s greatest probability to actually kickstart a rebuild, however now the staff might want to swing a couple of extra offers to actually restock the cabinet. They’ve the gamers to do this, nevertheless it’s disappointing the Rangers’ largest celebrity could not garner a haul on his personal. Drury avoids flunking as a result of it is apparent Panarin held agency to his commerce safety. Grade: D+