Artemi Panarin trade upgrade: The Rangers are quick to rebuild as the Kings report crisis

Will Panarin be able to save the Kings without firing a single bullet?So did this work for the Blueshirts?

Artemi Panarin trade evaluation: Rangers rush to restructure, Kings show urgency

All the hype on Wednesday at 3 p.m.As a kind of de facto deadline, ET's roster freeze looked set to end in real disappointment;Minutes before the hard freeze on all trades went into effect, the only player who stood out to change teams was Nick Bjögstad, a versatile, hard-working and, let's face it, unexciting player.

Then, at the 11th hour, Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland traded the top player available, New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin, to L.A.signed to West Coast to maximize their playoff chances in captain Ange Kopitar's final season.

At age 34 earlier this season, will Panarin still have the juice to turn around a Kings offense that ranks as the second-lowest scorer?Is now Farmer Kings prospect Liam Grantree a worthy center in the return of such a breakout star?And whether fans in one of America's two most populous cities will be happy about the deal.

Los Angeles Kings

F, Artemi Panarin, $5.82 million through 2026, $11 million through 2028

If you've followed hockey for any length of time, you know at least a little about "The Bread Man," the mercurial Russian playmaker who finished in the top five in Hart Trophy voting twice during his six-and-a-half years in the Big Apple.Panarini's tenure as a point guard could have ended in the same kind of heralded disaster that paved the way for his arrival in New York in the first place, but he had great hockey along the way.A truly elite playmaker, Panarin tallied 67 assists and 101 points in 82 games as a guard, which is a career year for almost anyone.

If you look through the stats Panarin has amassed in a long time and (barring a famous heist by Tom Wilson) the elite's first healthy leading scorer, you won't find any downside to this deal for L.A.. Despite the difficulties felt by the Rangers themselves (sixth worst scoring offense), Panarin has amassed 57, the Kings more than 12 points from Kempe (Kempes 12) more than 12 points Kings.by Kevin Fiala in the second, and, well, way more than any of the others.They need a purpose, and Panarin creates a purpose.

From a business standpoint, Kopitar's impending retirement means extending Panarin's two-year, $11 million contract won't be a problem for the Kings.The return is not prohibitive either;Puck mover Brandt Clarke, the Kings' key cogs are all pretty old;Hall of Fame defenseman Drew Doughty is 36, top goaltender Darcy Kuemper is 35, Kopitar is a lame duck, and Holland hasn't signed a free agent younger than 32-year-old Joel Armia. That means the Kings didn't have time to wait for Greentree (or a conditional third-round pick) to emerge anyway.

Panarin, who averaged more than a point per game in 34, is a better fit for the Kings' schedule, but ... what exactly is the Kings' schedule?Why veteran Holland, new to the L.A. job?after taking over from Rob Blake last summer, is he ready to double and triple a core that has shown little evidence of Stanley Cup potential?Will Panarin's influence on the ice in Byfield, Laferriere, and Clarke be good enough over the next two and a half seasons to be the guys who pull LA out of the doldrums?More than likely, Panarin will help the Kings stay comfortable enough to avoid another rebuild, which will satisfy team president Luc Robitaille but bring an already frustrated fan base.

The Kings deserve credit for having the one guy on the market who was a strong bet to open up their anemic offense enough to take advantage of third place in scoring defense.The Russian is probably the best change this offseason and should help LA earn a fifth straight postseason appearance.It's a short-term win, but will it really make life after Kopitar any less difficult for them?For this toothless list, age?

New York Rangers

F Liam Greentree

$5.82 million left to win Artemi Panarin's prize until 2026

Conditional 2026 third round pick (second pick if LAK wins series)

2028 Conditional 4th Round Pick (if LAK wins two series)

The pitchforks are out.You knew they were coming.When Rangers general manager Chris Durie announced the organization's second public overhaul (sorry, retooling) in eight years, the first thought on every Rangers fan's mind was Panarin, whose 607 points in the red, white and blue rank ninth in franchise history.Panarin may be long gone, but he could be traded to bring back a worse player.This helped begin a successful reconstruction.On paper, that's not what Dury got for Panarin.

Greentree has been producing for OHL Windsor since he was 16 and is just 19 goals away from breaking the record for career goals.A big kid who spent this offseason working to improve his defense and his physicality in special situations, he should stand out as an AHL rookie next season.But, if the Rangers get only one chance in this transaction, their team will enjoy a family, name A +.Greentree is more of a solid B: a regular player who is too big and strong for the youth he's hitting right now and may take a few years to adjust to the speed of the NHL.

Because the draft capital the Kings threw away, which is more than just a third-round throw, has to win.Their opponents, if they make it to the stage, are the Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and the same Edmonton Oilers who defeated them in the first round in a row (!).So, round three it is.that's what you get.

Drewry is already buzzing around the internet for what is probably the best UFA deal in league history (Greentree was drafted in 2024 and is likely to be renewed) for a third baseman.Yes, Panarini is under contract, but so is Brock Nelson, an under-productive player who scored for the nearby New York Islanders last year (Calum Ritchie, 1st and 3rd round picks).

The difference was that, while Nelson had a limited trade-off list, Panarin had absolute veto power over any move.The dreaded "NMC" is the cost of dealing a player of his caliber in free agency.There's little reason not to buy the story that Panarin's attraction to big markets means he's the only team to sign him to Los Angeles.If that were true, then Drury was limited to selecting from the assets of a team that (a) did not have good draft picks in the first place;and (b) he knew the extent of his disability.

While Drury may not be able to escape the situation that brought him here (everyone knows Panarin isn't rehabbing in New York);The Panarin trade control gave L.A. a grip on our player market.Take a prospect in Greentree, who has improved over two fun seasons after being drafted late in the first round;Therefore, it is not a total loss.That's not to say it's hard to swallow for the millions of New Yorkers who have seen Panarin's brilliance up close.

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