The Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers in exchange for prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick, according to multiple reports. Panarin will also sign a two-year extension with the Kings worth $11 million a year. Additional reports have also indicated that the Kings were Panarin’s preferred destination.
The trade is one of the first major moves for the Kings under first-year general manager Ken Holland, as they land one of the biggest available names on the trade market ahead of today’s Olympic roster freeze. Los Angeles beat out several other suitors for Panarin, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes. The Kings continue to battle for a playoff spot in tightly contested races in both the Pacific Division and the Western Conference wild-card battle.
The Kings acquire Panarin with the intention for him to provide a boost to their struggling offense, which currently averages the fifth-fewest goals per game in the league. Panarin has 19 goals and 38 assists in 52 games this season, and has scored at least 22 goals in every full season of his career. In 804 career NHL games with the Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks, he has registered 321 goals and 606 assists. He has not played in the Rangers’ last few games, as the team held him out of the lineup while searching for a trade partner for him.
Greentree was selected by the Kings with the 26th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. He has not yet reached the NHL, but has played well at the junior level, posting 45 points in 34 games for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League this season after a 119-point season in 2024-25. He was listed by the NHL as the Kings’ top prospect entering this season.
According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the third-round pick will become a second-round pick if the Kings win a playoff round this season. The Rangers will also receive a fourth-round pick if the Kings win two playoff rounds.