The Los Angeles Kings just made a major splash - and they did it with both eyes on the present and the future. By acquiring Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers and inking the star winger to a two-year, $22 million extension beyond the 2025-26 season, the Kings not only added elite talent to their top six, but also kept the door wide open for what could be a seismic summer in 2028.
Let’s start with the deal itself. LA sent promising prospect Liam Greentree and two draft picks to New York to land Panarin, a perennial All-Star who still brings dynamic playmaking and high-end scoring ability at age 34.
For General Manager Ken Holland, this is a calculated win-now move - and a sharp one at that. Panarin instantly boosts the Kings' offensive ceiling and gives them another weapon for a playoff push in a Western Conference that’s wide open behind the top tier.
But what really turned heads around the league wasn’t just the trade - it was the length of Panarin’s extension. Two years.
That’s it. And in today’s NHL, where star players often command four, five, even seven-year deals, that kind of short-term commitment raised some eyebrows.
There’s a reason for it, though - and it’s not just about Panarin’s age. Yes, he’ll be 36 when the deal expires, and yes, managing risk on aging stars is part of the equation. But there’s a bigger picture here, and it revolves around the 2028 free-agent class - a class that could include the likes of Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.
Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. A lot can happen in two and a half years.
But the idea that LA is positioning itself to have the cap space and roster flexibility to make a run at one - or both - of those generational talents? That’s the kind of forward-thinking roster construction that separates good front offices from great ones.
McDavid’s current two-year, $25 million extension with Edmonton kicks in for the 2026-27 season and runs through 2027-28. Matthews is on a similar timeline, with his four-year, $53 million extension in Toronto also set to expire after the 2027-28 campaign. If either superstar hits the open market, the Kings - with their market appeal, competitive roster, and now, financial flexibility - could be in a prime spot to make a pitch.
And don’t forget the connections. Holland knows McDavid well from his time in Edmonton.
Matthews, meanwhile, has long been linked to the West Coast - born in Northern California, raised in Arizona, and often rumored in trade talks to have interest in playing closer to home. LA checks a lot of boxes.
Of course, none of this guarantees anything. The odds of landing even one of those players are slim, and the NHL landscape can shift dramatically over the course of a few seasons.
But what Holland and the Kings are doing here is smart team-building. They’re improving the roster now with a proven scorer in Panarin, while keeping their powder dry for a potential franchise-altering moment down the line.
In the salary cap era, flexibility is currency. And LA just gave itself a bigger wallet.
So while fans in Los Angeles can enjoy watching Panarin light it up in the short term, they can also dream a little bigger. Because if the stars align - literally - the Kings might be positioning themselves for something even more special in 2028.