Wednesday, February 4th, will be a day that goes down in infamy for New York Rangers fans. It's the day the Rangers sent icon Artemi Panarin to the Kings, for prospect Liam Greentree and a couple of draft picks. An underwhelming return for a player like Panarin. Regardless of how Panarin's tenure in Los Angeles goes or what the assets they got turn into, it's a move that will always leave fans with a sour taste.
With how weak the return was for Panarin, many have looked back on how the Rangers pulled this trade off. Even with Panarin only willing to accept a deal with the Kings, many feel Drury did a poor job in the negotiation process. One of the biggest complaints is that he should not have traded him before the Olympic freeze and that he should have kept the Kings waiting. The hope is that Los Angeles would get tired of waiting and overpay. But it did not matter when Panarin was traded; it was going to be underwhelming.
Waiting would not have changed what the Rangers got for Panarin
Regardless of when the Rangers traded Panarin, they were going to get a less-than-ideal return. With Panarin's no movement clause, he had complete control of where he was going. This prevented a bidding war from taking place that would have driven up the price. It also prevented the Rangers from having any leverage during negotiations. They basically had to accept whatever the Kings offered, because there was nowhere else to send Panarin.
Chris Drury's comments about Panarin's extension also reduced the Rangers' leverage in trade negotiations. With Drury saying they were not going to extend Panarin and that they were retooling, they had to move Panarin. You could not let a top-line winger leave without getting something for him. That would be worse than the package they got for him. The Rangers backed themselves into a corner with their comments, forcing them to accept a lower return.
Holding on to Panarin also carried a lot of risk. What if Panarin was reinserted back into the lineup and suffered an injury before the trade deadline that sidelines him for the rest of the season? Then there is no chance of moving him, and you will lose him for nothing. There is also the possibility that Panarin went on a cold streak and hurts his trade value. While unlikely, it is possible that Panarin has a slow start after the break. This would have caused the Rangers to get even less than they did.
Moving Panarin now helps put the Rangers' retool in a better spot. The overall goal of this retool is to acquire younger players and find talented ones who will support the core of Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox. The best way to get this young talent is to have a high draft pick. Something that is hard to do with Panarin in the lineup. He's good enough to win a game by himself and hurt the Rangers' chances at getting a better pick.
Is there a lot you can criticize about this trade? Yes. Drury did a terrible job during negotiations and killed any leverage the Blueshirts may have had. But to criticize when they made the deal is making a mountain out of a molehill.