The Kings were swept out of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs by the Avalanche on Sunday night, officially locking in the details of their trade with the Rangers for Artemi Panarin.

With the Kings’ first-round loss, the Blueshirts’ final return for their perennial leading scorer was reduced to top prospect Liam Greentree and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft at the end of June.

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A first-round victory by the Kings would have upgraded the third-rounder to a second.

A second-round triumph would have added a fourth-round selection in 2028 to the package.