Artemi Panarin Traded To The LA Kings

The Panarin camp only presented LA as an option since he had to approve any deal to trade him. One condition was that he get an extension, and that seems to be in the works. Or, just completed. Other teams interested in Panarin’s services included the Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Edmonton Oilers. A top contender was the Washington Capitals, but no deal was made. LA was his choice, and he got what he wanted.

The addition of Panarin will help the meager LA offense, which stands 28th in goals scored and 29th in power play tallies. Every trade comes with giving up something in return, and Greentree is a top prospect who should help the Rangers down the road. He is a big forward standing 6′-3″, 216 pounds.

He can score, as evidenced by his 49 goals and 70 assists during the 2024-25 season with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL.

How Adding Artemi Panarin Affects LA’s Chances

Adding a talented forward like Artemi Panarin to the Kings is quite a feat. He has shown himself to be an effective offensive weapon in his NHL career. Over his 11 years in the league, he has accumulated 321 goals and 606 assists in 804 contests. He is also an effective contributor to the power play, having scored 77 goals and 205 assists.

It’s the kind of offense the Kings sorely need. They now have a reliable scorer who knows how to light the lamp.

The Kings are fighting for a playoff spot, just one point behind the Seattle Kraken with a game in hand. They trail the Utah Mammoth, who reside in the first wild card spot, by two points with two games in hand. The remainder of the 2025-26 NHL season will be interesting to see how Panarin helps the Kings. Also, will Greentree be called up to the NHL or stay in the OHL?

The Rangers’ Hands Were Tied

Panarin made it clear that he preferred the Kings as his next destination, and that left little for the Rangers to do but find a deal. Many thought they should have received higher draft selections, but in the end, it is what it is. Retaining 50 percent of Panarin’s salary was a big concession.

The way the Rangers’ season has gone, they are attempting to pick up the pieces and find a way to be competitive again. Greentree may be a good start. He’s a big forward who can score. Maybe not on the level of a Panarin, but he is young, and the future looks good for him.

End Of My Panarin Trade Rant

It seems that Panarin had the Rangers trapped in a corner, and since he had his no-trade clause in his contract, he decided his fate. Besides, who wouldn’t want to relocate from snowy, freezing New York state to sunny LA? We’ll see how well this trade works out for both teams. Right now, it appears that the Kings won this trade big time.