The Los Angeles Kings are about to get something they didn’t have for the stretch run last season: Artemi Panarin for a full year.
That matters. A lot.
After landing Panarin from the New York Rangers before the trade deadline, general manager Ken Holland and the Kings immediately saw the offensive lift they were hoping for. Panarin came in and produced at better than a point per game down the stretch, giving a team that had been struggling to score early in the season a much-needed jolt.
Now the real test begins. For the first time, Kings fans will get a full look at Panarin in black and silver, and he’s expected to be a central piece of both the top-six forward group and the power play’s first unit.
Here’s what his 2025-26 season looked like in total: 78 games played, including 26 with the Kings, 28 goals, 56 assists, and 84 points. He finished at minus-7 overall, though he was plus-9 with Los Angeles.
His advanced numbers were just as strong: a 12.5 shooting percentage, 8.6 5-on-5 shooting percentage, 3.1 points per 60, 3.7 point shares, and 3.6 WAR. With the Kings, he posted a 61.4 CF%, 52.0 SCF%, 98.2 PDO, and 52.5 HDCF%.
The impact wasn’t just about raw production, either. Panarin gave the Kings a different kind of threat in the offensive zone - the sort of creativity and passing touch that can tilt shifts in a hurry.
In 26 regular-season games with the club, he piled up 27 points. He also stood out in the postseason, where he was the only Kings player to score multiple goals in the first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.
That’s why the expectation for 2026-27 is so clear. Panarin signed an extension after the trade that keeps him in Los Angeles through the end of the 2027-28 season, and the Kings are counting on him to remain one of their biggest offensive drivers while also helping a power play that has needed a spark for years.
The projected setup is encouraging, too. Panarin is expected to skate on the top line with Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield, a trio that could give Los Angeles plenty of puck possession and finishing punch. Panarin has been a point-per-game producer for much of the last eight seasons, and his career-high 120-point season came under Peter Laviolette with the Rangers.
He’s also closing in on a major milestone. Panarin needs 46 more points to reach 1,000 for his career. If he stays healthy and keeps producing at his usual pace, that number should come into view this season.
For the Kings, the appeal is obvious: Panarin’s vision, playmaking, and power-play presence give them a weapon they’ve been missing. With a full season ahead, they’re finally set to see just how far that addition can carry them.