The trade from the New York Rangers to the Los Angeles Kings is easily the biggest move of the season so far in the NHL, but for Artemi Panarin, the most important part of the deal happened off the ice.
The newest Los Angeles King superstar met with the media on Wednesday, and he was eager to talk about how he is settling in to his new enviorment.
Vladislav Gavrikov still assisting Artemi Panarin
Panarin is new to LA, and it's going to take some time for him to settle down. In the meantime, he's getting some help from former teammate, and former Los Angeles King, Vladislav Gavrikov.
Panarin noted he got to town three days ago and is staying at Gavrikov's house here. That's been helpful for his wife and kids, to help adjust. Joked they just haven't seen the LA sun yet.
— Anthony Collazo (@anthonycollazo_) February 18, 2026
Gavrikov spent 179 games across three season with the Kings, and signed with the New York Rangers are a free agent in the offseason. Panarin's familiarity with Gavrikov goes back to when both played in the KHL, and the friendship that continued in New York remains important now.
Panarin will start Kings career playing with another "Laffy"
A good portion of Panarin's career with the Rangers saw him play on a line with Alexis Lafrenière, a player many fans known as "Laf" or "Laffy". During his first practice with the Kings, Panarin skated with Alex Laferriere, a player also known as "Laffy."
Lafferiere is a center that was picked 83rd overall in the 2020 draft, same as Lafreniere, and he's got 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 56 games. The third member of the line should be Adrian Kempe, and he should rejoin the team following Sweden's elimination at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Rangers fans will see Panarin again soon
One of the more interesting quirks of the trade is the fact that Panarin will make his return to Madison Square Garden during the same season in which he was dealt away. The Rangers lost 4-3 to Los Angeles during a road trip to California back in January, and they meet again on March 16 at Madison Square Garden. There have been a few notable returns this year involving players such as Kaapo Kakko, Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, and Ryan Lindgren, and Panarin will be the next in line to get an ovation on the road.