The Los Angeles Kings made a splash before the Olympic roster freeze.

They traded with the New York Rangers to bring aboard 34-year old forward Artemi Panarin to add some serious offensive firepower.

After the trade, Panarin and the Kings agreed to a two-year contract extension.

It had been reported that Panarin was seeking either three or four years But he only got the two.

And now ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski has floated a theory in a post on X: He thinks the contract length has to do with Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.

As of now, both of them will be free agents after the 2027-28 season. That’s when Panarin’s contract would be done.

This is what Wyshynski posted:

In thinking more about why the @LAKings held firm on a two-year extension for Artemi Panarin, I guess there are a couple of reasons why they might want that money off their cap in 2028 … #NHL pic.twitter.com/wZ85jRTTaX

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) February 7, 2026

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Clearly, almost everyone in the NHL will be figuring out if they can line up their cap space for the offseason when those guys might be available.

McDavid signed his two-year extension before this season started, opting not to go longer, suggesting he wants at least one chance at a huge free agency bidding war.

The Kings have been known to occasionally make a splash. They’ll be in a new era going forward when Anze Kopitar hangs up his skates before that point, it seems.

They could decide to pursue one of these superstars, and they’ll have the cap space to do it thanks to their Panarin timing.

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