The real reason Artemi Panarin ended up in LA revealed
Photo credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
On Wednesday, the LA Kings acquired star winger Artemi Panarin, and now, it's been revealed why the Rangers dealt him to the Pacific Division.
For weeks now, it was considered a matter of when, not if the New York Rangers would trade star winger Artemi Panarin, and with the Olympic roster freeze now in place, talks picked up earlier on Wednesday.
In a deal that shocked the National Hockey League, Panarin was acquired by the Los Angeles Kings in a deal that landed the Rangers former first-round pick Liam Greentree and two draft picks.
Insider reveals why Panarin ended up with the Kings
Despite teams like Tampa Bay also being interested in Los Angeles, the former 120 point scorer ended up with the Kings, and now, thanks to Frank Seravalli's reporting, we know exactly why.
According to one of the NHL's top insiders, Panarin ended up in LA as a result of himself, as he presented them as the only true option to the Rangers front office, and as a result, he ended up in LA, with no other teams prepared to give the team anything better than the Kings offer for Panarin as a rental.
While no extension has been reached as of yet, given how much Panarin wanted LA, all signs are now pointing to a deal getting done in the coming hours and days, with the 34-year old wanting to be a King long-term.
Only time will tell whether this move pays off in a big way for LA, but given that they kept all of their first-round picks and moved just one prospect, it's safe to say that Kings fans and the organization are very excited by the move.
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