Adrian Kempe agrees to 8-year, $85-million deal with Kings
Forward Adrian Kempe agreed to an eight-year, $85-million contract to stay with the Kings, a person with knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday because the Kings hadn’t announced their deal with the 29-year-old Kempe, who would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer. The deal extends through the 2033-34 season and has an average annual value of $10.625 million.
Kempe has been the Kings’ most dependable offensive player over the last four seasons, earning an All-Star selection in 2022 and leading the Kings to four straight playoff appearances. The Swedish right wing has 200 goals and 220 assists in a 10-year career spent entirely with the Kings, which drafted him with the 29th overall pick in 2014.
Kempe scored a career-high 41 goals during the 2022-23 season and has four consecutive 25-goal seasons. He leads the Kings with six goals and 13 assists in 19 games this season while playing extensively on special teams.
Kempe is also on Sweden’s initial roster for the 2026 Olympics.
Re-signing Kempe has been a top priority for new Kings general manager Ken Holland, who said he wanted to maintain a foundation of leadership and talent when longtime captain Anze Kopitar retires next year. But negotiations with Kempe stretched from the summer into the season, leading to increasing speculation that Kempe would hit the open market next year.
Instead, Kempe joins the list of potential 2026 free agents who re-signed with their teams in the last two months. Connor McDavid, Martin Necas, Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov all committed to their respective teams recently.
The Kings (10-5-4) rebounded from a slow start with four consecutive victories on their six-game road swing. They play at Washington on Monday.
Beacham writes for the Associated Press.