Time’s ticking for LA Kings to lock in Adrian Kempe as extension talks linger, reckons NHL insider

The Los Angeles Kings are still working on a new contract for forward Adrian Kempe. He has five goals and eight assists for 13 points in 10 games this season. Kempe continues to play a key role on the power play and top line with center Anze Kopitar and left Winger Andrei Kuzmenko.

Kempe is in the last year of his 4 year, $22,000,000 contract, and NHL insider Eric Stephens expressed surprise that the Kings have not signed him long-term.

"The fact that Kempe hasn’t been locked in long-term is a bit of a shocker considering how much he and the Kings have expressed a common desire for him to stay in Los Angeles," Stephens wrote for The Athletic last weekend.

"Simply put, they need their best player, and the winger’s price is only going up, because he’s off to the best start of his career with 11 points in eight games. The feeling is they’ll get a deal done, but time’s ticking on the pending UFA."

Adrian Kempe’s value is rising this season, and his speed and scoring have helped the Kings stay competitive with a 4-3-3 record. They are currently placed third in the Pacific Division below Vegas and Seattle. If he keeps this pace, Kempe could reach another 40-goal season. He has hit the milestone once in the 2022-23 season.

Reports say the Kings and Kempe talked in the summer, but no deal was made. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said both sides are now trying to restart talks soon.

"I think they wanted to see if they could get their shot at McDavid, that's not happening; if Marner had gone to market, they were prepared to...meet with him; you operate with what you've got; I think [Kempe] wants to stay," Friedman said on 32 Thoughts on 24th October.

Adrian Kempe's importance to the Kings' offense

Last season, Adrian Kempe scored 35 goals and 38 assists in 81 games. He has been one of the team’s best players for the past four years, scoring 139 goals over that duration . He has an average of over 34 goals per season. So, his scoring and consistency make him hard to replace, and losing him for nothing would hurt the team’s playoff chances.

The Kings are focused on returning to the playoffs after last season’s early exit. This problem has continued since the 2022 playoffs. They have made it to the playoffs for four straight seasons, but have not won a single series.

Extending Adrian Kempe would give the team stability on offense, and the front office knows signing him soon is a top priority.