Artemi Panarin opens up on post-Rangers life ahead of MSG return
Artemi Panarin is pretty happy about where he is right now, even though he’d rather not have returned to New York for a visit until next season.
The longtime New York Rangers forward opened up about life with the Los Angeles Kings ahead of his much-hyped return to Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
The Rangers traded Panarin to the Kings on Feb. 4 — shortly before the Olympic roster freeze — for forward prospect Liam Greentree, and two conditional draft choices. Panarin had a full no-trade clause and said Los Angeles was the only place he would agree to be traded to. The 34-year-old pending free agent then signed a two-year contract with the Kings carrying an average annual value of $11 million.
Panarin had 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists) in 52 games with the Rangers before the trade and finished his time in New York ninth in franchise history with 607 points (205 goals, 402 assists) in 482 games during just under seven full seasons for New York. His average of 1.26 points per game is the highest in Rangers history, and he is the only Blueshirt with more than 600 points in fewer than 500 games.
Artemi Panarin wishes his MSG return was next season
Panarin is excited to return to his old stomping grounds, though he admitted it won’t be comfortable being back at MSG on Monday.
“I wish it was going to be next year, but I’ve got to deal with that pretty soon,” Panarin said after the Kings practiced Thursday, prior to their game against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Friday. “I’m sure I’m going to be nervous. … Obviously excited to see the fans.”
The Rangers are all but certain to miss the playoffs for the second straight season after reaching the Eastern Conference Final twice (2022, 2024) in a three-season span. Despite making offseason trades that sapped New York of some firepower, Panarin cited injuries to goalie Igor Shesterkin, center J.T. Miller and others as the biggest reasons for this season’s struggles.
“I think injuries gave us a hard time,” Panarin said. “(All the) time we had one of the top guys injured. We did not have enough depth for the top six. We were working with limited options.”
Panarin was, of course, a pending unrestricted free agent before the Rangers traded him. He appreciated Rangers general manager Chris Drury’s infamous letter that spelled out the team’s plans to rebuild since it gave him the opportunity to seek a trade — something he said he would not have done otherwise.
“I was never going to make that move by myself,” he explained. “So it’s kind of easier for me for people to figure it out for me.”
Panarin said the lack of contract talks prepared him for what happened, but he was still sad when Drury told him what the Rangers were going to do.
“You don’t believe that until they tell you,” he said. “I thought I played pretty good too. In the beginning, yeah, I was thinking too much, but after I corrected my season. When you go back to your level you think, ‘Right now, let’s go.’ Then it’s not going to happen. It’s OK.”
The Kings are 3-5-1 since acquiring Panarin, and they fired coach Jim Hiller amid their struggles March 1. Panarin struggled initially after the trade, but he has five points in their past four games and the Kings are 2-1-1 in that span.
He admitted he felt “sad” after the trade, but said things are perking up.
“Felt pretty sad in the beginning but also explained to myself why it’s better,” Panarin said. “I have a few things I think are going to be better.
“I was thinking too much. It took me probably two or three games (with the Kings) to relax. … I was waiting three weeks thinking [before the trade]. I have trouble when I start thinking.”
But the Kings are still very much in the hunt for the playoffs. LA is 26-23-15 (67 points) and enters the weekend trailing the San Jose Sharks for the final Western Conference playoff spot by one point with 18 games to play.
The nearness of a playoff berth has led to a better attitude than Panarin felt in New York.
“Obviously a better atmosphere in the locker room,” he said. “If you already know you’re in last place, it’s not that fun in the locker room, even if we try to help each other.”
