The Los Angeles Kings have taken another step to fortify their forward depth.
Mere days before the free-agent market opens, the Kings opted to ensure one of their own players remains in-house, agreeing to terms with Adrian Kempe on a four-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $5.5 million.
The details of the deal, which now ties Kempe to Los Angeles through the 2025-26 season, such as its salary structure and inclusion of any trade protection have yet to be released.
Locking down Kempe was one of the final important remaining pieces of business for a Kings squad that looks poised to compete in 2022-23.
The 25-year-old broke out in a big way last season, racking up an impressive 35 goals and 54 points in 78 games before adding another six points in seven games during the Kings’ first-round playoff series with the Edmonton Oilers.
By signing on the dotted line, Kempe avoids becoming a restricted free agent on July 13th, and will now be in an even better position to produce moving forward with the likes of Kevin Fiala, the Kings’ other marquee addition, joining the fold.
Logging nearly 19 minutes per game in ice time, Kempe is clearly developing into a key cog in the Kings’ forward corps. While his 14 percent shooting percentage was somewhat high last season, which may suggest a slight regression in his lofty goal totals, it’s not completely out of the realm of Kempe’s career 11.4 percent mark.
If all goes according to plan, Kempe will be a consistent 25-35-goal scorer for the foreseeable future. And at $5.5 million per season, that’s not a bad price at all.
