{"id":445992,"date":"2026-02-04T23:37:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T23:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/445992\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T23:37:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T23:37:20","slug":"new-york-rangers-deal-star-artemi-panarin-to-los-angeles-kings-ahead-of-olympic-roster-freeze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/445992\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Rangers deal star Artemi Panarin to Los Angeles Kings ahead of Olympic roster freeze"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Rangers<\/a> have traded winger Artemi Panarin<\/a> to the Los Angeles Kings<\/a> in exchange for a conditional third-round pick and prospect Liam Greentree<\/a>.<\/p>\n

TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston confirms that Panarin is signing a two-year contract extension with Los Angeles with an AAV of $11 million. <\/p>\n

The Rangers are retaining 50 per cent of Panarin\u2019s salary in the deal. <\/p>\n

Johnston adds that the conditions on the third-round pick are if the Kings win a playoff round this year, it becomes a second-round selection. And if Los Angeles wins two playoff rounds this season, the Rangers also receive a 2028 fourth-round pick. <\/p>\n

Coniditions on the 3rd-round pick heading to #NYR<\/a> in the Artemi Panarin trade:<\/p>\n

If the #LAKings<\/a> win a playoff round this year, it becomes a 2nd-rounder<\/p>\n

If the #LAKings<\/a> win two playoff rounds this year, they also receive a 2028 4th-round pick<\/p>\n

\u2014 Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The move comes one week after the Rangers first decided to begin holding Panarin out of their lineup for roster management until a trade could be reached. It also comes just ahead of the NHL\u2019s 3 p.m. E.T. Olympic roster freeze.<\/p>\n

Panarin is in the final year of a seven-year, $81.5 million deal he signed in 2019 that includes a full no-move clause and carries an $11.64 million cap hit.<\/p>\n

It was previously reported that the Russian winger was looking for a four-year extension at a cap hit of roughly $11 million in order to waive his no-move clause for a trade.<\/p>\n

Panarin, 34, has 19 goals and still leads the Rangers with 57 points in 52 games this season, sitting second among forwards in average ice time at 20:54 per game.<\/p>\n

He has led the Rangers in each of the past six seasons, posting a career-high 49 goals and 120 points in 2023-24.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously he\u2019s one of the best Rangers of his generation, and he\u2019s not an easy guy to replace,\u201d Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan said of playing without Panarin last week. \u201cIt forces all of us to look in the mirror and try to figure out how we can all do a better job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trading Panarin comes weeks after general manager Chris Drury<\/a> penned a letter to fans that indicated that the team would be focusing on a \u201cretool\u201d as a new direction for the franchise.<\/p>\n

The Rangers traded defenceman Carson Soucy<\/a> to the Islanders in the first trade since the letter in January.<\/p>\n

New York has lost three straight games are just 2-8-0 in their past 10, sitting last in the Eastern Conference and third last in the league. The Rangers are set to miss the playoffs again this year after winning the Presidents\u2019 Trophy in 2024.<\/p>\n