The Los Angeles Kings won the Artemi Panarin sweepstakes — perhaps by default — and sent Liam Greentree and two draft picks to New York before signing the star winger to a two-year, $22 million extension beyond 2025-2026.
Both the trade and contract are widely seen as a huge win for GM Ken Holland and the Kings, although some wondered why the extension was only for two years. There could be several reasons, with Panarin’s age, 34, being in the foreground. However, one insider suggested it could be a move to preserve cap flexibility for a potentially star-studded 2028 free agent class.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski floated the idea that LA might have stuck with a two-year deal, with their sights set on superstars Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, who could hit the market at the end of it.
Wyshynski wrote:
“By thinking more about why the @LAKings If we stick with a two-year extension for Artemi Panarin, I think there are a number of reasons why they would want that money off their cap in 2028… #NHL,”
The 29-year-old McDavid’s two-year, $25 million extension with the Oilers, signed in October, will begin at the start of the 2026-2027 season and expire after the 2027-2028 season. Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Matthews is in the second year of a four-year, $53 million extension to stay in Toronto through 2023, which also expires after the 2027-2028 season.
Smart Move by Ken Holland and the Kings
While two and a half years is a lifetime in the sport – and so much can change in that time for both McDavid and Matthews – there is no doubt that Holland’s decision to limit the window for Panarin’s extension was a smart one.
Maintaining flexibility for even the slightest possibility of two of the best players in the world becoming available is a no-brainer, especially for a team like Los Angeles, which is always an attractive destination for stars hitting the open market.
Holland, of course, already has a connection with McDavid, having spent five years as General Manager of the Oilers, while Matthews is often linked to the Kings when trade talk surfaces, in part because he was born in San Ramon, California, and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona – not far from the City of Angels.
Connecting all these dots makes a lot of sense, and it’s certainly something for hockey fans to keep an eye on in the coming years depending on how things unfold in Edmonton and Toronto.
That said, the odds of LA landing even one of them remain low. At the same time, this doesn’t mean it’s not worth building your schedule with the possibility in mind; honestly, it would be malpractice not to do so.
Next: Surprise Canadian team labeled as the best choice for Jesper Wallstedt
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