Today, the NHL roster was frozen ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and as many expected, Artemi Panarin was traded. In a long-awaited deal, the Los Angeles Kings acquired the Russian star in exchange for Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The stipulation for the pick is that if the Kings win one playoff round this season, it will be upgraded to a second-round pick.
Shortly after the trade was announced, the Kings revealed that Panarin had signed a deal contract extension for two years. The deal has an AAV of $11 million. It was widely speculated that Panarin wanted to be traded to a team that wanted to sign him long-term. Now he has a new home in Los Angeles, which was reportedly his favorite destination.
Review of the Panarin trade
King’s class: A
The Kings deserve an A on this transaction. Once it became clear that Panarin only wanted to play in Los Angeles, LA was able to take advantage of the situation. They brought in an elite scorer who could eventually take over as the team’s attacking focal point. Which will be huge when Anze Kopitar officially to deletees at the end of the 2025-2026 season. Panarin adds another layer of scoring to an already strong top six. He should fit in seamlessly alongside Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala. Both are two of the Kings’ other top-scoring wingers.
There is also the option to add it Quinton Byfieldwho is expected to become the face of the organization after this season. Panarin’s career-high in goals is 49, set during the 2023-2024 season with the Rangers. This year he has 19 goals and 38 assists for 56 points in 52 games. With the acquisition, Panarin now leads the Kings in scoring. He is twelve points ahead of Kempe, who previously led the team. All it cost was their top prospect and a conditional selection in the third round.
Rangers grade: C+
For the Rangers, this deal is a little more complicated. They were open about wanting to move Panarin, but because he controlled his destiny and chose the kings, their influence was limited. Yet they managed to acquire a strong prospect in Greentree. He now has the chance to become a key part of their rebuild.
“We valued him, a prospect like him, higher than a first-round pick in ’26 or ’27. He’s an ’06 birth-year-old and ready to turn pro and finish his junior career,” general manager Chris Drury said. from Greentree NHL similar was in the design Jason Robertsonwho has emerged as a strong secondary star for the Dallas Stars. That alone gives the Rangers something to build around.
With Panarin off the books, New York can shift its focus to other players. For example, they could focus on Vincent Trocheck, who could potentially get bigger returns thanks to greater team control. Drury added: “It’s never easy to move a player of Artemi’s caliber, but it has given us the opportunity to acquire valuable assets for the future… As I indicated in the letter to our fans, no one is happy with the way we performed this year. As president and general manager, this is ultimately my responsibility.
Ultimately, landing Greentree and a conditional third who could become a second-round pick for a player who dictated his landing spot is a respectable return. Even though it falls short of what Panarin could have achieved with more teams, it was still decent.
Next: Artemi Panarin signs discount extension with Kings Following Trade
#NHL #trade #classes #Rangers #trade #Panarin #Kings