New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) shoots the puck during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Jan 19, 2026.
The Los Angeles Kings acquired star winger Artemi Panarin in a trade with the New York Rangers, the team announced on Wednesday. After the completion of the trade, Panarin agreed to a two-year extension that will pay him an average annual salary of $11 million through the 2027-28 season.
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In exchange for Panarin, the Kings traded prospect Liam Greentree, a conditional third-round pick in 2026 and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2028.
The Rangers will remain responsible for half of Panarin’s salary. Therefore, the Kings are only using $5.8 million of cap space for Panarin this season. New York had been eager to trade Panarin before the Olympic break, which starts on Friday and spans through Feb. 24.
Panarin will not be competing in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. He would have represented Russia, but the Russian men’s hockey team is banned by the International Ice Hockey Federation from the Olympics for their country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Olympic break will give Panarin time to adjust to his new team and the move to the West Coast. The Kings, along with the rest of NHL teams, will not be able to practice from Feb. 6 to Feb. 16 but can resume practices at 2 p.m. local time on Feb. 17 before games officially start again on Feb. 25.
New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) shoots the puck during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Jan 19, 2026.
Panarin Wanted to Join the Kings
Panarin attracted a lot of interest in the trade market before the Kings officially landed him. Other teams like the Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals were reportedly interested in trading for Panarin, according to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan.
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Panarin had a no-movement clause in his contract with the Rangers, which meant he had full control over which team he would be traded to. He reportedly said the Kings were his desired landing spot, per Kaplan.
The four-time NHL All-Star will be a good addition to the Kings’ roster this season. He was the Rangers’ leading scorer in five of the six last seasons. Panarin has scored 19 goals and recorded 38 assists across 52 games with New York this season.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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