Artemi Panarin with the Rangers (Via Getty Images) Artemi Panarin is headed to Los Angeles. The deal is done. The 34-year-old winger will join the Kings on a two-year contract worth $22 million after the Rangers finally moved their franchise player. But the path to get there was absolute chaos.Multiple teams pursued Panarin aggressively as the trade deadline approached. The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning were at the top of his wish list, with Florida especially appealing to the veteran forward. Neither worked out. Now one insider reveals how LA sealed the deal.
Los Angeles Kings remained clear favorites to secure Artemi Panarin despite multiple contenders
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, those discussions never gained serious traction despite the mutual interest. Panarin’s focus shifted to the West Coast. The idea of reuniting with Joel Quenneville in Anaheim held appeal, but the Ducks refused to commit to an extension. San Jose showed interest, though the extent of those talks remains unclear. “From the beginning, they were nervous about the term on an extension for the 34-year-old winger,” Friedman said of the Kings. “But the two sides were discussing something in the $45 million range.”Then everything fell apart Tuesday. Los Angeles walked away from negotiations. Panarin’s agent, Paul Theofanous, contacted several teams to create a bidding war, and word spread quickly about Carolina and another team willing to pay $60 million on a four-year deal with a $15 million cap hit.The Seattle Kraken emerged as a major player with an aggressive bid. Multiple sources indicated Seattle offered a four-year extension with an average annual value higher than Leon Draisaitl’s $14 million.”We had discussions with Paul Theofanous just like numerous other teams,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said. “We will continue to be aggressive at improving our team.” In addition to them, the Capitals and the Hurricanes also remained in contention, with the Mammoth also showing their interest in the 34-year-old.But Panarin made his choice clear Wednesday when he told the Rangers he would only waive his no-movement clause for Los Angeles. The Kings re-engaged and landed on the two-year, $22 million structure they were comfortable with. Panarin wanted California badly enough that he may have left $30 million on the table. The Kings sit at 23-17-14 and occupy a wildcard position in the Western Conference. They return from the Olympic break on February 25 against Vegas before hosting Edmonton the following night in a crucial Pacific Division matchup that could define their playoff positioning down the stretch.