Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c9218b42-ed9a-4801-8350-b9555a15899d.jpeg] Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Artemi Panarin returns to Madison Square Garden with his emotions still raw, just a few weeks after he was traded from the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/] to the Los Angeles Kings. The Rangers are set to play against the Kings on Monday night, marking the first time Panarin will face off against the Blueshirts since being traded. Panarin admitted to potentially being emotional, but knows the magnitude of the game, given the Kings’ playoff push in the Western Conference. "We'll see,” Panarin said about how emotional it will be playing the Rangers. “I'll try not crying. I guess battling for playoffs, I don't have time for that emotion" There was a lot of buildup to Panarin’s departure from New York, yet everything seemed to reach a boiling point and move quickly in January, less than a month before he ultimately was traded. The 34-year-old forward entered the 2025-26 campaign without a long-term contract extension in place, as his seven-year, $81.5 million contract extension was going to expire during the 2026 offseason. Both Rangers’ president and general manager Chris Drury and Panarin spoke vaguely about contract negotiations, not revealing what may transpire in the future, which brought even more uncertainty to the situation. Ultimately, Drury issued a letter to fans on Jan. 16 outlining the Rangers’ plan to retool the roster, and it was reported shortly after that the Rangers did not plan to re-sign Panarin and would look to trade him ahead of the March 6th NHL Trade Deadline. Upon being held out of the Rangers’ lineup starting on Jan. 28 due to roster management, Panarin and his agent, Paul Theofanous, were able to explore the market and determine which teams would be willing to give a contract extension that met their demands. Panarin zeroed in on the Kings as his preferred destination and waived his no-move clause to go to Los Angeles. Almost immediately after being traded, Panarin signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Kings. “I feel weird actually. It’ll be in my head, and stay in my head and just walk around. I feel like this ended very quick — I was not expecting that, but I also had seven years here, so it was a great time for me,” Panarin said about how everything unfolded with the Rangers. Now, everything is in the past, and Panarin will enter the world’s most famous arena as an opponent.
