Rangers Trade Artemi Panarin to Kings in Marquee Deal

The Artemi Panarin sweepstakes have officially come to an end.

Just as the NHL’s roster freeze prior to the 2026 Winter Olympics was about to go into effect, it was reported by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan and Adam Schefter that the New York Rangers were shipping the veteran forward Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings for a conditional third-round pick and prospect Liam Greentree.

ESPN sources: The LA Kings have acquired standout forward Artemi Panarin from the NY Rangers in exchange for a conditional third-round pick and prospect Liam Greentree, per me and @emilymkaplan. pic.twitter.com/2PuTENRhEH
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 4, 2026

It’s a deal that’s been long in the making ever since the Rangers announced that they’d be embarking on a retool after this season hadn’t transpired how they’d hoped. One of the effects of that pivot was moving on from Panarin and his expiring contract, which the Rangers indicated they wouldn’t be extending at the end of the season. The team then took the extra step of sitting Panarin out until it could find a suitable home for the 34-year-old from Russia, something it found with the Los Angeles Kings.

Kings Land Their Man

Jan 23, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) before the start of warm ups against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Many teams were reported to be involved in the Panarin sweepstakes. From some of the top squads in the Eastern Conference like the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Detroit Red Wings, to some of the better clubs out west like the Kings, pretty much everybody was attempting to get a piece of the Panarin pie. It was still tough to find a match, however, as Panarin had a full no-movement clause and was seeking a hefty contract extension on arrival. In the end, it was the Kings that were reportedly able to deliver on those aspirations.

Los Angeles currently finds itself on the outside looking in of the playoff discussion, though not by much. Only one point separates the Kings from the Seattle Kraken, the team that occupies the second wild-card spot at the moment.

With the scoring that Panarin brings to the table, it’s hard to imagine the Kings not having a great shot to climb back up in the postseason, especially given how compact the Pacific Division is. He immediately boosts their goal output — Los Angeles’ 143 goals this season are the second worst in the NHL — which alleviates some of the stress on the blue line and the goaltending duo of Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg. In the end, it should help the Kings make the postseason once again, with the hope being that they’re able to get over the hump this time.

New York Acquires Star Prospect

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Liam Greentree is selected by the Los Angeles Kings with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Selected 26th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, Greentree is one of the top prospects the Kings had to offer. Through 34 games with the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League, he’s scored 23 goals and notched 22 assists. His numbers the season prior were even better as he put up a whopping 119 points over 64 games.

According to ESPN’s Kaplan, the Rangers thought that Greentree was the best prospect in the Kings’ organization.

It’ll be the Rangers' hope that he develops into a player that can help the Rangers achieve their goal of winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 1994. Of course, at just 20 years old, that might have to wait a while.

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