The Rangers’ retool is officially underway.
Star winger Artemi Panarin is being traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick, according to ESPN.
Panarin, 34, had been the subject of considerable trade interest since general manager Chris Drury told fans that changes could be coming amid the Rangers’ disappointing season.
The deal came down before Wednesday’s 3 p.m. roster freeze ahead of the Winter Olympics.
Panarin, who was in his seventh season with the Rangers, had not played since Jan. 26 due to what the team called “roster management.”
“He’s good,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after Tuesday’s practice. “He is continuing to skate on his own schedule, but I spoke to him yesterday and we’ll continue to control what we can until the business side of the game resolves itself.”
Despite his recent absence, Panarin was the Rangers’ leading scorer with 57 points and ranked second on the team with 19 goals. The Russian star led the Rangers in scoring in five of the past six seasons.
Panarin finishes his Rangers career ranked ninth in franchise history in points (607), eighth in assists (402) and 14th in goals (207).
He had been in the final season of a seven-year, $81.5 million contract.
Less than two years removed from a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers are just 22-28-6 and sit in last place in the Metropolitan Division.
On Jan. 16, Drury told fans in an open letter that the Rangers needed to be “honest and realistic about our situation” as they explored ways to reconfigure the roster.
“This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects,” Drury wrote.
“We will target players that bring tenacity, skill, speed, and a winning pedigree with a focus on obtaining young players, draft picks, and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward. That may mean saying goodbye to players that have brought us and our fans great moments over the years.”
In Greentree, the Rangers get a 20-year-old prospect whom the Kings took with the No. 26 pick in the 2024 draft. He has 23 goals and 45 points for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League this season.
NHL rosters are now frozen through Feb. 22. The NHL trade deadline is March 6.
