The New York Rangers' offseason woes continue as the Los Angeles Kings were swept in the playoffs, impacting a trade deal involving Artemi Panarin. The Rangers were set to receive a second-round pick if the Kings advanced, but that opportunity has now been lost.
Not a lot of things went right for the New York Rangers during the 2025-26 season. And some of that misfortune already carried over into the offseason.
This time, however, it wasnât the Rangers fault nor was it much a of a surprise.
Instead it was old friend Artemi Panarin and his new team, the Los Angeles Kings, who let the Rangers down.
The Kings were swept in the first-round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, losing Game 4 to the Colorado Avalanche by a 5-1 final on Sunday. Had the Kings won that series, the third-round pick the Rangers received from the Kings as part of the Panarin trade in early February wouldâve turned into a second-rounder this year.
No such luck for the Blueshirts, who themselves failed to even qualify for the playoffs this season, finishing last in the Eastern Conference with 77 points. But on the outside looking in, the Rangers had a rooting interest when the Kings qualified for the postseason, hoping that Panarin and Co. would upset the Presidentsâ Trophy winners, who had an NHL-best 55 wins and 121 points this season.
The Kings lost a pair of one-goal games in Colorado to open the series, including a 2-1 overtime defeat in Game 2. Panarin scored each of their goals in the first two games, and assisted on another in L.A.âs 4-2 loss at home in Game 3.
Panarin finished second on the Kings with three points, each on the power play, in the series, behind only forward , who had four points (all assists). Stymied at every turn, the Kings scored only five goals in the four-game sweep, and Panarin recorded just four shots on goal, despite averaging more than 21 minutes TOI. He recorded one shot on goal and four attempts Sunday.
The Los Angeles Kings were swept in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche.
The Kings' early exit meant that the Rangers will not receive a second-round pick from the Panarin trade, as the pick was contingent on the Kings advancing.
Artemi Panarin is a forward who was traded from the New York Rangers to the Los Angeles Kings, impacting the Rangers' draft pick situation based on the Kings' playoff success.
The third-round pick the Rangers received from the Kings would have turned into a second-round pick if the Kings had advanced past the first round of the playoffs.
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Of course, the Kings wouldnât have made the playoffs without Panarin. With just 225 goals scored, the Kings were the lowest-scoring team to qualify for the postseason. Even the Rangers (238) scored more goals this season. And it didnât help that the Kings lost one of their key forwards, Kevin Fiala, to a season-ending injury during the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
But Panarin played at a point-per-game pace for the Kings after coming over from the Rangers, where he led the Blueshirts in scoring each of his first six seasons on Broadway. Panarin had 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) in 26 games for the Kings, who squeaked into the playoffs with 90 points, a minus-22 goal differential, and incredibly just 22 regulation victories.
This was the fifth straight year the Kings were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. And it wasnât a surprise at all that the League-best Avalanche took them out this spring.
So, the Panarin trade is now officially complete. The Rangers received forward prospect Liam Greentree and a third-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft. One other condition wasnât met by the Kings: had they advanced to the Western Conference Final this season, the Rangers wouldâve received an additional fourth-round pick in the 2028 draft.
The Rangers have 11 picks in this yearâs draft, including a pair of first-rounders. They have the third-best odds to win the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5, with an 11.5 percent chance to land the No. 1 overall pick, per Tankathon. That pick is guaranteed to be a top-5 selection, at worst. Their second first-round selection will be the better of the Carolina Hurricanes or Dallas Stars first-rounders, as part of the KâAndre Miller trade to Carolina last summer.
Barring any other trades, the Rangers plan to be on the clock seven times in the first three rounds. They have the two first-rounders, one second-round selection, and four picks in the third round â their own, and ones from the Islanders, Kings, and Buffalo Sabres.
As for Panarin, heâs set in Hollywood for the next two seasons. The 34-year-old, whoâs 46 points shy of 1,000 in the NHL, signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Kings after they acquired him.
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