'They didn't want me': Artemi Panarin opens up about emotional end of Rangers tenure

Artemi Panarin, who was a pending UFA at the end of the year, was told by New York Rangers general manager that he would not be offered a new contract for next year and beyond.

They then began sitting him out of games in late January, and in early February, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Not only that, but he signed a two year extension in Los Angeles with an AAV (average annual value) of $11 million to stay with the Kings through 2028.

Now, Panarin is opening up about how things ended with the Rangers, saying he feels the team didn't want him anymore.

Rangers GM Chris Drury sent a letter to frustrated fans saying that they were about to enter a retooling process and that part of it would involve the difficult parting of ways with players they've acquired over the years.

Even though Vincent Trocheck was heavily involved in trade rumours, he ended up staying put.

Panarin, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015-16, is now with the Kings.

The Kings are trying to get over the hump of having been eliminated in the first round in each of the last four years by the divisional foe Edmonton Oilers, and they feel Panarin gives them the best chance to do so.

The Kings have not won a postseason series since their last Stanley Cup win in 2014, which came over the Rangers.

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