When the New York Rangers signed Artemi Panarin as an unrestricted free agent in 2019, they were hoping he would be a superstar who would help deliver them a Stanley Cup. And while the team and player both had moments over the past seven years, it’s fair to say they didn’t reach the heights once hoped for.

Over six full seasons with Panarin, the Rangers reached two conference finals, but won just four playoff series. Last year, New York missed the playoffs altogether, which in hindsight, began the countdown to Panarin’s departure.

The player, however, absolutely delivered on his $81.5-million contract. Since signing on with the Rangers, Panarin has been the NHL’s sixth-highest scorer with 607 points in 482 games, trailing only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov and David Pastrnak. He was a Hart Trophy finalist in the shortened 2019-20 season.

The Rangers’ path began to change last season when they traded out core players Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider, but another bumpy journey through this year’s schedule forced the front office to act even more decisively. On Jan. 16, when New York was at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the team released a letter to its fans (version 2.0) announcing a change in direction.

“With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation,” GM Chris Drury wrote. “We are not going to stand pat — a shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team.

“This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects.”

On Nick Kypreos’ latest trade board, he listed Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Braden Schneider as the top Rangers trade candidates who could go by March 6. As we got closer to the soft trade deadline before the Olympic break on Feb. 4, momentum was building toward an early Panarin trade.

His last game with the Rangers was on Jan. 26, a win over Boston in which he recorded an assist. But he was scratched for the next three games as the Rangers protected against injury and worked on finding a trade partner. On Wednesday, the deal finally came together after a wild 48 hours, as outlined by Elliotte Friedman.

While the return at a glance might be underwhelming — prospect Liam Greentree plus conditional third- and fourth-round picks — it has to be remembered that Panarin had a full no-movement clause and desired an extension with a new team. That narrowed the market considerably. Still, although New York did not receive a first-round pick, Greentree was a first-round selection in 2024.

Shortly after the trade, Los Angeles signed Panarin to a two-year extension with an $11-million cap hit. He will turn 35 early next season, but the Kings craved an offensive difference-maker and locked one in. Still hoping to qualify for the playoffs and go on a run, Los Angeles is 28th in goals per game and 26th on the power play.

Panarin will not join the team for its last game before the break on Thursday night, but will be ready to go after the Olympics.

“He’s going to fly in here and be with us on the 18th (for practice), so there will be 10 days when coach can have some meetings and see who he’s got some chemistry with,” Kings GM Ken Holland told reporters.

The Kings play with a tight defensive structure and while Holland said they won’t make a drastic change to that game plan so late in the season, Panarin will be given some freedom to do what he does best.

“We’re excited to have the talent. I think he’s going to help the power play. He plays like a centre in the O-zone,” Holland continued. “He moves the puck around and creates scoring chances for other people. So, obviously, we’re going to give him some freedom certainly in the O-zone.”

For more on the Panarin trade, scout Jason Bukala looks at what both New York and Los Angeles got out of it.

The rumours and chaos surrounding Panarin’s eventual landing spot apparently had many twists and turns before the Kings acquired him from the Rangers. I’m not surprised that Panarin wanted to go to Los Angeles. What surprises me is the fact he signed only a two-year extension with the Kings. He’s sort of betting on himself, considering he will be 36 years old when the deal expires with sights on playing beyond then.

Here’s my breakdown of both sides of the trade:

To Los Angeles: Artemi Panarin

The Kings struggle to score goals and push offence. The addition of Panarin provides them with a top-tier offensive threat they desperately need to have a shot of moving up the Western Conference standings and advancing deep into the playoffs.

The Kings’ leading scorers are Adrian Kempe (20 goals, 26 assists), followed by Kevin Fiala (18 goals, 22 assists) and Quinton Byfield (11 goals, 19 assists), so Panarin immediately slots into their lineup as the top offensive weapon. He posted 19 goals and 38 assists with the Rangers before the trade while averaging nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game. He will provide a boost to the Kings’ 28th-ranked goals per game average (2.56) and 26th-ranked power play (16.5 per cent). Panarin’s two goals and 15 assists with the extra attacker equals Fiala’s output with the Kings. Panarin adds an extra dimension to the unit and makes the group more difficult to check. 

Panarin isn’t a burner in open ice. He’s in the bottom 50th percentile in speed with and without the puck on his stick, but he’s a volume shooter who knows how to find open ice in high-danger areas and cash in on his opportunities. Panarin still possesses one of the hardest, most accurate shots in the league. He’s in the 83rd percentile in terms of hardest shot (89.24 mph) and 97th percentile in terms of overall average velocity (63.81 mph).

As much as the Kings need Panarin to produce offence, they will hope he can more consistently lock down his game on the defensive side, too. He’s not going to kill penalties or run opponents over physically, but the team structure Los Angeles plays will demand Panarin adapts and improves on the minus-16 he had with the Rangers. 

To New York Rangers: Liam Greentree, 2026 conditional third-rounder, conditional 2028 fourth-rounder

Greentree is the key piece heading to the Rangers. He’s a hulking winger who doesn’t shy away from using his six-foot-foot, 216-pound frame as an advantage. Greentree is a proven goal scorer in the OHL and a big part of the Windsor Spitifires offence. In his OHL career, Greentree has contributed 133 goals and 166 assists. He’s deployed in a variety of roles in Windsor and projects as a top-six power winger at the NHL level. 

Greentree’s skating is average-plus, and doesn’t concern me overall. He will keep pace at the pro level. The 26th-overall draft pick in 2024 by the Kings, Greentree will turn pro after this season but might require time in AHL Hartford to mold himself into the player the Rangers expect him to be when the team starts to climb back up the Eastern Conference standings.