The inevitable has finally arrived at Madison Square Garden: Artemi Panarin is highly likely to be traded by the deadline. New York Rangers GM Chris Drury has already signaled the fire sale with the Carson Soucy trade, but Panarin is the crown jewel. With his contract extension talks stalled and unrestricted free agency looming, the Breadman is officially on the block.
While half the league will call Drury, one team is emerging as a fascinating, albeit desperate, suitor: the Los Angeles Kings. Elliotte Friedman recently noted, “I also think Panarin would consider LA. They need a fresh coat of paint.” But as someone who watches the Western Conference closely, I think “fresh paint” is putting it mildly—the Kings need a complete overhaul, and Panarin might be the only lifeline they have left.
Analyzing the Risk: Can the Kings Afford a Rental?
Let’s look at the reality of the situation. Panarin remains elite. Over the past seven seasons, he has posted 205 goals and 607 points in 482 games. Even in a down year for the Rangers, he has 19 goals and 57 points in 52 games. He is a game-breaker.
The Los Angeles Kings, conversely, are broken. They sit 30th in the league in goals. The offense is anemic, Anze Kopitar is retiring and injured, and Drew Doughty sits at a -11 in his last 12 games. The center depth has evaporated, and relying on a 40-year-old Corey Perry to drive scoring is a strategy destined for failure.
Acquiring Panarin is a massive gamble. If he is a pure rental, he might drag this roster into a low playoff seed, only to exit early. However, if the Kings can acquire and extend him, it changes the window entirely. It signals to Doughty and the fans that the retool is over. But with a prospect pool that is already thin, the price to get Panarin out of New York will hurt. The Kings have strong wingers, but they need a superstar. Panarin is that superstar, but are the Kings just putting a Ferrari engine in a used sedan? It’s a move born of desperation, but sometimes, those are the trades that win Cups.
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The Kings are fine. Wait until everyone is healthy. They owe it to Anze and they will be locked in . I’m not a big fan of playing against Kane but if we have him
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