Panarin says trade to Kings was 'perfect timing' ahead of Olympic break

In the end, Artemi Panarin got what he wanted: a trade to the Los Angeles Kings and a new contract with his new team.

But the 34-year-old forward got it all after several uneasy days, and some final few nerve-racking hours leading up to the trade, which got done and approved shortly before the NHL's roster freeze for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 went into effect at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Panarin was traded to the Kings by the New York Rangers for prospect Liam Greentree and two conditional draft picks. He also signed a two-year, $22 million contract ($11 million average annual value) with the Kings, keeping him in Los Angeles through the 2027-28 season.

"I was actually (nervous)," Panarin said Thursday. "They waited pretty long, I feel like. I have experience being a free agent seven years ago, so it's kind of similar stuff, so I was ready for that, but I was also ready for that's not going to happen and I will wait until after the Olympics break. I don't know, I probably go back to Russia if L.A. don't give me anything."

Panarin is in the final year of a seven-year, $81.5 million contract he signed with the Rangers on July 1, 2019.

The Rangers told him three weeks ago that they were not going to re-sign him and instead would work with him to find him a new team and a chance to win the Stanley Cup.

It went hand in hand with the letter president and general manager Chris Drury wrote to the fanbase, which stated that the Rangers would be retooling the roster and saying goodbye to some popular figures in franchise history.

Panarin's contract has a full no-movement clause, which gave him the ability to dictate to the Rangers where they could trade him.

Going to a team that would sign him to a new contract was his priority. He did not want to be an unrestricted free agent again.

"I don't want to be rented for a couple of months and then go somewhere else," Panarin said. "I was looking for a team who wants me, who can sign me right away."

The Kings checked all the boxes for Panarin, who said he did some of his research on the team through conversations with now former Rangers teammate Vladislav Gavrikov, who played for the Kings the previous two-plus seasons.

"I tried to find a team for myself where I want to be," Panarin said. "So, it's kind of about feeling. Obviously, you look at players, and I was speaking with Gavrikov the last couple of days a lot. He introduced L.A., great organization, great teammates there, and obviously a great spot to live. It's hard to explain, I just want to play for these guys, for that organization. Other teams were on the list obviously, too, but I actually didn't want to go anywhere else."

Panarin didn't deny that other teams on his list made a bigger offer to him, but it wasn't as important to him as going to the Kings.

"I feel like I'm a guy who is not thinking that much about money," he said. "I don't know, maybe it seems funny, but it's not an important thing for me. I just want to play for the guys and for the organization. That's what it's all about. Obviously, it's a pretty short deal for me. That's not what I was looking for, but because I want to play there only, I don't have much options."

Panarin said it was in early January when he realized his time with the Rangers was going to end. The 10-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Jan. 10 probably sealed his fate, he said.

Drury released the letter to the fanbase six days later.

But Panarin also said the Rangers never made it seem like they were serious about re-signing him even once they were allowed to do so on July 1. He indicated that they made a contract offer that was not close to what he was looking for.

"I don't know if I should say this, but I feel like their offer just said, 'We're not sure we want you or not.' So, that's why I'm not signing," Panarin said. "If you remember, my start of the season was not great, and then we talked probably a bit in the middle of the year, but not much."

Panarin, though, praised his 6 1/2 seasons with the Rangers, talking about the pride he had playing for an organization with 100 years of history and what it was like to reach the Eastern Conference Final twice with them, in 2022 and 2024.

He was New York's leading scorer every season since joining the team. He led the Rangers with 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists) in 52 games this season, and is ninth in team history with 607 points (205 goals, 402 assists).

"Found a lot of friends here," he said. "That's a great organization, too. New York Rangers are an Original Six team, like huge history. I was pretty proud playing for these guys, for this jersey."

Panarin will be wearing a Kings jersey when the NHL returns from the Olympic break. His first game will be 20 days from now, against the Vegas Golden Knights at Crypto.com Arena (10 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SNO, SNE, TVAS).

He will return to Madison Square Garden to play the Rangers on March 16, but maybe by then he'll have found his home with a view of the Pacific Ocean and chemistry with his new teammates.

"I feel like when you play for one team a long time, this team will always be in your heart," Panarin said. "That's the thing with switching and feeling the same way for the other team. But it's probably perfect timing because the Olympics break is pretty long and it gives me some time to get used to a new team."