Artemi Panarin is headed west. The star Russian winger was traded by the New York Rangers to the Los Angeles Kings ahead of the NHL’s 3 pm Olympic roster freeze on Wednesday.
The Rangers, who are retaining 50 percent of Panarin’s $11.6 million cap hit, will receive prospect winger Liam Greentree, a conditional 2026 third-round pick, and a conditional 2028 fourth-round pick in return. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Emily Kaplan were the first to break the news.
The Kings and Panarin have immediately agreed upon a two-year, $22 million contract extension, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. An extension, reaching upwards of $50 million, was thought to be a prerequisite for Panarin to waive the full no-movement clause in his current contract.
Panarin has long been rumored to be on his way out of New York after the Rangers’ front office informed the winger that they had no intention of extending his contract. The Rangers then held Panarin out of their lineup for three games due to “roster management” reasons.
According to the New York Post’s Mollie Walker, the Kings were the sole team that Panarin wanted to go to, leaving Rangers general manager Chris Drury with little to no negotiating power. Walker adds that the conditional third-round pick can become a second if the Kings win one playoff round. They will only get the conditional fourth-round pick if LA wins two playoff rounds.
In 52 games for the Rangers this season, Panarin has recorded 57 points (19g, 38a).
The two-time NHL All-Star has recorded 80 or more points in seven of his last eight seasons. He posted a career high 120 points (49g, 71a) in 82 games with the Rangers during the 2023-24 campaign.
Greentree, a 2024 first-round pick, has 45 points (23g, 22a) in 34 games for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires this season. He played in three games for Team Canada at the most recent World Juniors.
The Kings currently sit one point out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference, trailing the Seattle Kraken and Utah Mammoth in the wild card race. The 2025-26 campaign is to be the last for franchise legend Anze Kopitar as he plans to retire in the summer.
