With a little bit of help and guidance from Vladislav Gavrikov, Artemi Panarin pinpointed the Los Angeles Kings as the team he wanted to be traded to.
Panarin and his agent, Paul Theofanous reportedly, spoke to multiple teams about a potential contract extension as the New York Rangers made their intentions not to re-sign Panarin public with the hope to trade him before the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.
It was Panarin's full no-move clause that allowed him to dictate exactly where he wanted to play and treat this process almost as if he were already a free agent.
Eventually, Panarin gave the Rangers the green light to trade him to Los Angeles, and a deal was finalized with the Kings on February 4.
It’s unclear exactly why Panarin specifically wanted to play for the Kings, but he admitted that conversations with Gavrikov, who played for the Kings from 2023-2025, helped sway his decision.
“I tried to find a team for myself, where I want to be, so it was kind of about feeling,” Panarin said. “Obviously, you look at the players, and then I spoke with Gavrikov the last couple days a lot.
Mike Sullivan Praises Jack Hughes As One Of The Best Players America Has To OfferAs coach of the U.S. Men’s Hockey Olympic Team, New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> head coach Mike Sullivan gets to work alongside some of the team’s top players from a different perspective.
“He introduced me to a great organization, great teammates in there and obviously a great spot to live. I just want to play for these guys, for that organization. Other teams were on the list too, but I actually never wanted to go anywhere else.”
While Gavrikov’s high praise of the Kings organization may not have been the deciding factor in Panarin’s ultimate choice to sign a two-year, $22 million contract extension with the Kings upon being dealt, it certainly helped guide the 34-year-old forward in the direction of Hollywood.