Thanks to a strong start to the year and several free agents having been taken off the board already, Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings is arguably the best pending unrestricted free agent forward for next summer. Up to this point, the last meaningful update to extension negotiations between the two sides came a little over a week ago, when David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the two sides remained far apart.
Much of the gap between the Kings and Kempe is influenced by salary, with Martin Nečas ’s new extension reportedly prompting Kempe to ask for $11.5MM or more on his next deal. Before Nečas’s extension, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman had speculated that Kempe would earn $10MM or more on his next deal.
After Pagnotta’s report on October 30, there was growing concern that the Kings might have a more difficult time than initially expected in making Kempe the next centerpiece of their roster. Fortunately, a new report from Pagnotta today indicates that the two sides have re-engaged on a new contract, and Kempe is confirmed to be asking for a contract similar to Nečas’.
Still, Pagnotta cautioned that nothing was close to coming out of the weekend, though Los Angeles has upped their salary offer from where they initially started. Regardless, Kempe has proved that he’s worthy of becoming Los Angeles’s highest-paid forward.
Since the start of the 2021-22 campaign, Kempe has scored 145 goals and 286 points in 334 games with a +56 rating, averaging 18:54 of ice time per game. In comparison, Nečas has scored 102 goals and 266 points in 332 games, with a +16 rating while averaging 17:55 of ice time per game. Further, in the postseason, Kempe has registered 15 goals and 29 points in 24 games while Nečas has recorded nine goals and 26 points in 47 contests.
If you’re only comparing Kempe to his most recent comparable, there’s no question he’s earned a similar contract from the Kings. As of right now, Los Angeles has approximately $33MM in cap space for next season, with Andrei Kuzmenko, Corey Perry, and Brandt Clarke being the only worthwhile free agents needing new contracts.