Artemi Panarin signed up to star on Broadway. Now, he wants his shot at Hollywood. 

Panarin’s seven-season run with the Rangers officially ended Wednesday — just prior to the NHL’s Olympic roster freeze — when he waived his no-trade clause and accepted a deal that sent him to the Kings in exchange for forward Liam Greentree (a 2024 first-round pick) and a conditional third-round pick, which will convey to a second-rounder if Los Angeles wins a playoff series this spring. The Rangers, who will retain half of Panarin’s prorated $11.6 million salary for the rest of the season, would also receive a 2028 fourth-round pick if the Kings win a second round playoff series. 

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Though multiple teams were interested in the star forward, Panarin — who will reportedly sign a two-year extension with the Kings at an $11 million annual average value — had his eyes set on L.A., leaving the Rangers with virtually no leverage in negotiations, and preventing them from taking advantage of a potential bidding war. 

Panarin, 34, hasn’t played since Jan. 26 and spent the past week away from the last-place Rangers (22-28-6) after being informed by Drury that he would not be offered a new contract when the seven-year, $81.5 million deal Panarin signed with the Rangers expires after this season. Panarin was leading the team in points for the seventh straight season, recording 19 goals and 38 assists in 52 games this season. 

“Artemi’s an incredible player, arguably the best free agent signing in the 100-year history of the franchise,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said Wednesday. “He deserves a chance to win and we wanted to give him that chance as we retool the team. It’s never easy to move a player of Artemi’s caliber, but it’s provided us an opportunity to accumulate valuable assets for the future … 

“With that no-move [clause], he’s got a lot of control over the situation. As I said, he earned it and deserved it.” 

When the Olympic roster freeze ends Feb. 22, Drury could choose to make more changes to his disappointing roster, with Vincent Trocheck and Braden Schneider among the potential trade candidates before the March 6 deadline. Last week, the Rangers began their overhaul with a rare trade with the Islanders, who received defenseman Carson Soucy in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. 

“Our fans deserve a Stanley Cup, not a team just hoping to get in as the last wild card,” Drury said. “So we felt it was best to start this organizational shift sooner than later. That will be the guiding principle of every decision we make as an organization. How does this help us return to [being] a Stanley Cup contender?” 

In 2019, the Rangers — coming off back-to-back losing seasons — put themselves back on the path to contention by winning the sweepstakes for Panarin, who signed the largest contract in team history, then lived up to the hype. The Russian playmaker was a Hart Trophy finalist in 2020 and finished fifth in MVP voting in 2024, when he recorded 120 points— ranking second in Rangers single-season history — while leading the team to the Presidents’ Trophy and their second conference finals appearance in a three-year span. 

Panarin played 482 regular season games with the Rangers and ranks ninth in franchise history with 607 points (205 goals, 402 assists). His 1.26 points per game average is the best in team history, as is his 0.83 assists per game, edging Wayne Gretzky. 

Panarin also had 12 goals and 23 assists in 46 playoff games, memorably delivering the first round series winner in overtime of Game 7 against the Penguins in 2022. 

“It’s hard to say how I feel,” Panarin said last month after being told the Rangers would not offer him an extension. “I’m still confused, but the GM decided to go in a different direction. I’m OK with that.”