LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings acquired high-scoring left wing Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers on Wednesday for a conditional third-round draft pick and prospect Liam Greentree.

The Kings then signed Panarin to a two-year, $22 million contract that will keep the Russian forward in Los Angeles through the 2027-28 season.

The trade ends weeks of uncertainty around the future of the 34-year-old Panarin, who hadn’t played since Jan. 26 while the Rangers held him out in anticipation of trading their top scorer in each of the past seven consecutive seasons. He currently leads New York with 57 points in 52 games.

Panarin is a major acquisition for the Kings, who have stayed in contention for their fifth consecutive playoff appearance this season despite ranking 31st in the NHL with 139 goals and 29th in power-play success. Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala are the only Kings with more than 13 goals or 30 points this season.

Los Angeles has been committed to defense-first hockey for more than a decade, and coach Jim Hiller has kept the system alive despite four consecutive first-round playoff exits to the Edmonton Oilers. But new GM Ken Holland swung this move to inject some excitement and offense into a team that has appeared to be stuck between fringe Stanley Cup contention and full rebuilding.

Panarin is the NHL’s seventh-leading scorer over the past five seasons, putting up 156 goals and 298 assists for New York. He scored at least 25 goals in eight of his first 10 seasons, including a career-high 49 goals and 120 points two seasons ago.

Panarin’s departure is the biggest deal yet in what general manager Chris Drury called a retooling process rather than a rebuild for the last-place Rangers. In a letter to fans on Jan. 16, Drury said the focus would be on “obtaining young players, draft picks and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward.”

But because Panarin had a full no-movement clause, he was able to control his destination. With several contending teams making inquiries about his services, he elected to go to Los Angeles.

The Rangers retained half of his $11.6 million salary cap hit while acquiring Greentree, the 20-year-old Windsor Spitfires forward taken late in the first round of the 2024 draft.

If the Kings win a playoff round, the pick becomes a second-rounder. If they reach the Western Conference final, the Rangers also get a 2028 fourth-round pick.

The deal, which was finalized less than an hour before the NHL’s Olympic trade freeze, takes the best player available off the market more than a month before the March 6 trade deadline.

Panarin is the third pillar of the Rangers’ recent teams to move to Southern California since New York reached the Eastern Conference final in 2024.

Jacob Trouba, the defenseman who served as the Rangers’ captain for 2 1/2 seasons, was traded by Drury to the Anaheim Ducks in December 2024. Veteran forward Chris Kreider, the Rangers’ longest-tenured player, was also shipped to Anaheim by Drury last summer.

Both players have thrived in their new home with the Ducks, who are in contention for their first playoff appearance since 2018.

The Rangers already traded depth defenseman Carson Soucy to the crosstown rival New York Islanders for a third-round pick since Drury’s rebuilding letter went out.

Vincent Trocheck, who is 32 and signed for three more seasons after this one at a reasonable salary cap hit of $5.625 million, could fetch more than Panarin if he gets dealt.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Barry Trotz is retiring as general manager of the Nashville Predators after just under three years on the job but will stay on through the March 6 NHL trade deadline and until a successor is found, playing a role in that process.

Trotz, 63, said Monday he informed majority owner Bill Haslam in December that he intended to step away when his contract expired at the end of the 2026-27 season. The decision is not health-related, and Trotz is expected to remain with the organization as an adviser through that time.

“After some discussion, we elected to begin a search for my replacement now, but I am happy to work in my current role until we make a new hire, however long that might be,” Trotz said.

Haslam aims to have a new GM in place by the draft in late June. He downplayed any disagreement between ownership and Trotz that led to this plan.

“This is about Barry making a life decision and then us together,” Haslam said at a news conference announcing the change. “This has nothing to do with any disagreement with Barry or a reflection of where we are or are not as a team.”

Coach Andrew Brunette told reporters he learned Monday morning that Trotz was stepping down.

“I guessed I was as surprised as everybody else,” Brunette said. “Wasn’t expecting that today.”

Trotz took over control of hockey operations from longtime GM David Poile in the summer of 2023. The Predators made the playoffs the following season after Trotz fired coach John Hynes and hired Brunette to replace him.

After spending $100 million in free agency to sign Stanley Cup champions Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei on July 1, 2024, set expectations high, they were one of the league’s biggest disappointments with 52 losses in 82 games and nowhere close to playoff contention.

“Our goal is to build an organization to win a Stanley Cup and not just make the playoffs,” Trotz said. “That’s been my goal since being here.”

Nashville is in the mix past the midway point of this season but appears to be an organization at a crossroads since Haslam became majority owner last summer. Stamkos still has two years left beyond this one on his contract at a salary cap hit of $8 million, Skjei four more at $7 million and Marchessault three more at $5.5 million.

They and center Ryan O’Reilly are all in their 30s and could be potential trade chips ahead of the deadline or in the offseason.

Whoever follows Trotz could have some big decisions to make on those players and others, pending how he approaches buying, selling or standing pat, along with Brunette and his staff. The core of franchise goaltender Juuse Saros, captain Roman Josi and top forward Filip Forsberg is signed for the foreseeable future, providing a foundation that could win again sooner than later with the right moves around them.

Trotz’s second act with the Predators was much shorter than his first, when he coached them from their inception in 1998 through 2014, bringing respectability and relevancy to an expansion team playing in a so-called nontraditional market. He moved on to Washington and was behind the bench when the Capitals won the Cup in 2018 and spent four seasons coaching the New York Islanders before returning to Nashville.

“At a time when many were questioning Sun Belt expansion, Barry, together with David Poile, established the Nashville Predators as a model NHL franchise,” Predators CEO Sean Henry said. “More recently, Barry has spent nearly three years working tirelessly as our general manager to position the Predators for several years of success, ensuring the organization has all the necessary tools in place to build a long-term winner in today’s NHL, placing an emphasis on the welfare of every player in our system.”

TAMPA, Fla. — Nikita Kucherov scored the tying goal in the third period, Jake Guentzel scored the only goal in the shootout, and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the Boston Bruins 6-5 in front of 64,617 fans at an NHL Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium.

Kucherov finished with a goal and three assists, Brandon Hagel had a goal and two assists, while Oliver Bjorkstrand, Darren Raddysh and Nick Paul all scored power-play goals after Tampa Bay fell behind 5-1 in the second period.

Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 29 saves.

Tampa Bay’s four-goal comeback is the largest in NHL outdoor game history and the largest comeback victory in franchise history.

Morgan Geekie had a pair of goals and three points for the Bruins. Viktor Arvidsson, Alex Steeves and Matthew Poitras also scored for Boston, which improved to 10-1-2 in the past 13 games. Charlie McAvoy had a pair of assists while Jeremy Swayman finished with 41 saves.

Kucherov completed Tampa Bay’s comeback with a one-timer from the left circle with 8:10 left in the third period.

The game featured the first goalie fight in outdoor game history when Vasilevskiy and Swayman exchanged blows at center ice in the second period. The Lightning pointed to the goalie fight as a spark to their comeback when they were down 5-2.

“That was a game-changing moment for our team, and that’s what we needed,’’ Guentzel said. “That was definitely cool to watch.’’

With an opening puck drop temperature of 41.8 degrees Fahrenheit (5.44 Celsius), Hagel fired up the crowd with a goal just 11 seconds in — the fastest goal in NHL outdoor game history and tying a franchise history for fastest goal to start a game.

The Bruins scored the next five as Steeves, Geekie and Arvidsson all scored within a span of 7:39 to give Boston a 3-1 lead after the first. Poitras scored on a backhander at 2:22 of the second period while Geekie notched his second of the game at 8:18.

“We came out strong, obviously they scored right away but we got to our game right after,’’ Geekie said.

Bjorkstrand scored at 10:28 to make it 5-2.

The Lightning scored a pair of five-on-three power-play goals 23 seconds apart. Raddysh scored a goal for the fourth consecutive game to set a franchise record for a defenseman. Paul then tapped in a pass from Guentzel to make it 5-4.

“It was the game had everything,’’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “It had the weather in a state which doesn’t usually get weather like this. It was a phenomenal atmosphere, perfect ice hockey playing conditions. You had goalie fights, you had 11 goals, you had a shootout. It had everything. That one’s going to go in the memory bank. It was a special occasion.’’

Up next

Bruins: At Florida on Wednesday night.

Lightning: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will miss at least four weeks with a fractured foot.

The club announced the extent of the injury on Saturday before the surging Penguins faced the New York Rangers. Pittsburgh coach Dan Muse said Letang, who is in his 20th season, injured the foot during a 6-2 victory over Chicago on Thursday.

Letang’s absence comes with the Penguins surging into the Olympic break. Pittsburgh is 6-0-2 in its last eight games to move into second place in the Metropolitan Division.

The 38-year-old Letang has three goals and 22 assists in 50 games this season for the Penguins. He is currently three points shy of 800 for his career.

Letang’s injury comes at a potentially fortuitous time for Pittsburgh with the NHL set to take an extended break for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan Cortina, which start next week. The Penguins not participating in the Olympics will be off from Feb. 6 to Feb. 25.

MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens fired goaltending coach Eric Raymond.

They made the move 53 games into the NHL season despite sitting in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Goalies Jakub Dobes, Samuel Montembeault and Jacob Fowler have combined for a save percentage of .884 that ranks 28th among the league’s 32 teams.

Marco Marciano was promoted from the same job with the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket to fill the role on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. Raymond had served in the job since 2021.

Montreal is the second team to make a goalie coach change this season. The New York Islanders fired Pierre Greco six games in and gave the job to Sergei Naumovs, who has an extensive history coaching starter Ilya Sorokin.

Since making the move, Sorokin and backup David Rittich have combined for the fourth-best save percentage in the NHL at .907 over the past 46 games. They were 25th at .880 before that.

DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings signed veteran defenseman Ben Chiarot to a three-year contract extension worth $11.55 million.

Chiarot will count $3.85 million against the salary cap from when his new deal kicks in next season through 2028-29.

Chiarot, who turns 35 in May, is past the midway point of his fourth season with the Red Wings after time with Winnipeg, Montreal and Florida. He has played in all 54 of their games, averaging 21 minutes of ice time, and ranks ninth in the NHL with 113 blocked shots.

Detroit is in second place in the Atlantic Division and on pace to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

DETROIT — Patrick Kane of the Detroit Red Wings has tied Dallas’ Mike Modano as the highest-scoring U.S.-born players in NHL history.

Kane matched Mike Modano by recording his 1,374th point on an assist on a goal by Alex DeBrincat late in Detroit’s 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. He got there a couple of months after turning 37, while Modano was 40 when he scored a goal to register point No. 1,374.

“Nothing really went right for us tonight, so it’s tough to really think about (the record) right now, but hopefully next game’s a better result and (I) can move past Mike next game,” Kane said after the game. “That’d be nice, to do that and do it with a win.”

He will have a chance to move ahead of Modano when the Red Wings host the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

Kane has been one of the faces of American hockey since getting taken with the first pick in the 2007 draft by Chicago. He helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup three times from 2010-15 as a co-headliner of one of the most successful runs since the league’s salary cap era began in ’05.

Earlier this month, Kane became the 50th player and fifth American to score 500 goals, following Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick and Joe Mullen. Brett Hull, a dual citizen who was born in Canada and played internationally for the U.S., had 741 goals and 1,391 points.

Kane won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in ’07-08, the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2013 and the Hart Trophy as regular-season MVP in 2015-16, when he also led the league in scoring.

Kane has 1,374 points on 500 goals and 874 assists in 1,341 career NHL regular-season games.

Modano retired in 2011 with 561 goals and 813 assists in 1,499 games.

NEW YORK — Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head of Vancouver’s Brock Boeser.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced the ban following a disciplinary hearing with Rust, who will be out against Chicago, the New York Rangers and Ottawa. He’s eligible to return at the Islanders.

Rust lifted his right shoulder into Boeser’s head in the final seconds of the Penguins’ game at the Canucks, which they won 3-2. Boeser is out at least a week after going on injured reserve.

Rust will forfeit $80,078 in salary with that money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

DENVER — Sam Malinski’s breakout season was rewarded when the Colorado Avalanche signed the defenseman to a four-year extension.

The deal is reported to be worth $19 million, with an annual cap hit of $4.75 million.

The 27-year-old Malinski already has set career-highs with 21 assists and 24 points in logging 16 minutes, 43 seconds of ice time per game. He’s second among defensemen on the team in assists behind reigning Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar.

“Sam is a hard-working defenseman who has great skating and puck-moving ability,” Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said in a statement. “His commitment to the defensive side of the game has turned him into a reliable defenseman for us.”

It’s another instance where the Avalanche have rewarded an up-and-coming player this season. In November, Gavin Brindley signed a two-year contract extension less than 48 hours after scoring his first NHL overtime winner. The 5-foot-8, 173-pound Brindley was acquired by Colorado on June 27 as part of a deal that sent Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to Columbus.

Three months ago, the Avalanche signed Martin Necas to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension through 2034.

The Avalanche brought in Malinski as a college free agent in March 2023. He made the opening roster in 2024-25 and has been a fixture on the blueline since. He has 11 goals and 38 assists over 149 career regular-season appearances. Malinski also played in five games, with one assist, in the playoffs for Colorado last season against Dallas.

Malinski, who is 5-foot-11, 190-pounds, suited up for Cornell University from 2019-23. The Lakeville, Minnesota, native was a team captain in 2022-23.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres signed Josh Doan to a seven-year, $48.65 million contract extension in a deal announced Wednesday that secures the third-year forward as a key fixture of the team’s core group.

The signing was the first completed by newly promoted general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and rewards a player enjoying a breakout season in his first year with Buffalo.

The 23-year-old is from Scottsdale, Arizona, and the son of former Coyotes captain Shane Doan. In showing signs of following in his father’s offensive and physical style, Doan has already set career-bests with 15 goals and 35 points in 49 games this season, and leads the NHL with 35 takeaways.

Doan was in the final year of his rookie contract, and is now signed through 2032-33.

“Josh is a player that impacts the team both on and off the ice,” Kekalainen said. “He works hard, is competitive and skilled, and his game is going to continue to develop.”

Doan was acquired along with defenseman Michael Kesselring in a trade that sent high-scoring forward JJ Peterka to Utah in late June. The deal was completed by Kekalainen’s predecessor Kevyn Adams, who was fired last month.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Doan played mostly a checking role with the Mammoth, but was eager to develop his offensive touch in an expanded role in Buffalo. Selected by Arizona in the second-round of the 2021 draft, he’s already surpassed the combined production of 12 goals and 28 points in 62 games over his first two NHL seasons.

Doan’s two-way presence has helped the Sabres climb into playoff contention in a bid to end an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought. Buffalo (27-17-5), coming off a 5-3 win at Nashville on Tuesday night, is 16-3-1 in its past 20 and entered Wednesday in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.