Wednesday treated hockey fans across the globe to a blockbuster deal. Artemi Panarin, once in the crosshairs of the Vegas Golden Knights, was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Both camps were working on a contract extension, meaning that the Golden Knights had a new adversary to deal with.
Confirming as @emilymkaplan first reported, Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings for Liam Greentree and a conditional third round pick https://t.co/sX32x9faJQ
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 4, 2026
This season, Panarin has been his usual high-volume scorer self with 19 goals and 38 assists. He has 321 goals and 606 assists in his 11-year career, including a career year in 2023-24. Here, he scored 49 goals and 71 assists with the New York Rangers.
It's no secret that the Kings needed an additional scorer, too. Their attack has been downright mediocre, averaging 2.57 goals per game entering Wednesday (28th in the NHL). That's not even mentioning how the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks have turned up the heat this season. That left Los Angeles desperate to make a move.
That also leaves the Golden Knights to deal with another deadly adversary. First, you were worried about Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl facing you again in the playoffs. You also had the two aforementioned California teams playing better and now this?
But never fear, dear reader. The Golden Knights have a plan to take down this pestilent foe. They can start a new era of dominance against the Kings by applying this method and making life miserable for Panarin in future matchups.
How the Vegas Golden Knights can stop the newest Los Angeles Kings star, Artemi Panarin, in his tracks
One thing that sticks out with Panarin is his smaller frame. The newest Kings superstar only stands at 6'0" and weighs a meager 176 lbs. That leaves plenty of opportunities for the Golden Knights to hit and bully him throughout the game.
Therefore, it's on the lower lines, specifically Keegan Kolesar, to do damage. You can also throw Jeremy Lauzon for the next February game since, well, he hits a ton of people. He already has 152 hits this season and isn't far off from a career-high set in 2023-24 in hits (386).
Still, the objective is clear: knock Panarin around and ensure that he's out of his element. That has been something the Golden Knights have worked on over the years, doing whatever it took to become more physical. Names like Ryan Reaves and Deryk Engelland have etched out a niche within the team's system, giving Vegas plenty of bite.
That bite is certainly needed if the Golden Knights want to stay relevant. The California teams are looking to stick around for a while and Panarin just signed a two-year extension worth $11 million AAV (per Elliotte Friedman). If Vegas wants to be in the Stanley Cup hunt, the stay-at-home defenders must be there.
Otherwise, the Golden Knights will age out and be lost in the wave of premier Pacific Division teams. That's not what Kelly McCrimmon and crew want, especially with fans wanting another Stanley Cup. That starts with taking the dough away from the "Breadman."