"Knowing the Kings' offensive struggles and lack of a true superstar, it was no surprise that the Kings were poking around the situation to see if Panarin was someone they could land. Wednesday afternoon, the domino finally fell. The Kings acquired Panarin from the Rangers in exchange for forward Liam Greentree and a conditional 3rd-round pick (If the Kings win one playoff round, the pick becomes a 2nd-round pick, and if they win two rounds, the Rangers get an additional 2028 4th-round pick)."
"Not only are these types of players rarely available, but think about all the times the Kings have had their eyes set on impactful players that have either chosen some place else or didn't want to come to Los Angeles at all. For the first time in what seems like forever, a superstar preferred LA as their next destination, and the Kings made it happen."
"There are a lot of question marks if you look at this through a Rangers lens, from the value they got in return for the player who has led them in points for seven straight seasons, to why they rushed to make this deal happen a month out from the trade deadline, but for the Kings, this was an opportunity they just couldn't pass up."
Artemi Panarin was traded from the New York Rangers to the Los Angeles Kings for forward Liam Greentree and a conditional 3rd-round pick, with specific conditions upgrading the pick based on playoff wins. The Rangers retained 50% of Panarin's salary. The Kings immediately signed Panarin to a two-year extension worth $22 million. Kings general manager Ken Holland indicated the team was willing to move pieces to acquire a rare superstar. The acquisition addresses Los Angeles' offensive deficiencies and represents a high-priority, low-frequency opportunity for the Kings, while the Rangers face questions about return and timing.
Read at The Hockey Writers
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