Rangers Ignite Surprising Next Chapter After Panarin Trade Shocks NHL Fans

Well, the inevitable has finally unfolded — Artemi Panarin’s move to the Los Angeles Kings isn’t exactly breaking news for anyone within the New York Rangers camp. Once Chris Drury, the GM, dropped that bombshell letter back on January 16 about retooling the roster and whispered that Panarin’s future with the Rangers was limited, it was clear this chapter was closing. The “breadman” sat out a few games by late January, offering a hint of what was to come before officially signing his two-year, $22 million pact with the Kings. Meanwhile, New York secured a promising prospect, Liam Greentree, and a pair of conditional draft picks in return — a bittersweet trade that marks the end of an era. It’s tough handling the unknown, but as Coach Mike Sullivan mentioned, sometimes finality is the remedy we didn’t realize we needed — now, everyone can truly move forward. LEARN MORE

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Artemi Panarin‘s trade to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday didn’t come as a shock to anyone in the New York Rangers organization.

They began preparing to move into life after Panarin on Jan. 16, when general manager Chris Drury released a letter to the fanbase announcing a roster retool was coming and word spread that he also told the 34-year-old forward the Rangers would not be re-signing him.

The Rangers’ preparation escalated on Jan. 28, when Panarin was first scratched for roster management purposes. He didn’t play in the three games, all losses, before getting traded to the Kings and signing a two-year, $22 million contract ($11 million average annual value).

But for the Rangers, with prospect Liam Greentree and two conditional draft picks coming back to them, the trade did bring finality to the Panarin saga and an official end of an era in New York that everyone already knew was coming.

“Sometimes just the anxiety or just the uncertainty is more difficult to deal with than the finality of it,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said Thursday before the team played the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, MSG). “Everybody can move on.”

Greentree is a top prospect, the No. 26 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and is in his fourth season with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. The 20-year-old forward is expected to turn pro after this season and attend the Rangers’ prospect development camp in late June.

That does nothing for the Rangers now, which, like the trade itself, also should not come as a shock to Sullivan and the players.

With little leverage because of Panarin’s no-movement clause allowing him to dictate where he would go, it was unlikely the Rangers would get a return that could or would tangibly benefit them this season, and there was zero chance it would be better than what Panarin had been doing for them.

He was New York’s leading scorer every season since joining the team on a seven-year, $81.5 million contract on July 1, 2019. He led the team with 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists) in 52 games this season, and is ninth in Rangers history with 607 points (205 goals, 402 assists).