As the Los Angeles Kings navigate what will be the final season for franchise legend Anze Kopitar, there is another star player entering the final year of his deal but in a different situation.
That player is Swedish forward Adrian Kempe. The 29 year old forward will be due a new deal upon conclusion of this 25-26 season. Kempe makes $5.5 million per season on his current deal.
The question comes to where the Kings and Kempe’s camp are at when it comes to contract negotiations and when a deal gets done, considering the busyness of the NHL marketplace of late. Unfortunately for Kings fans this latest insider update provides a worrying outlook that brings up more questions than answers.
What is the latest on Kempe?
Via insider Elliotte Friedman, the bridge between the Kings party and Kempe camp is “far apart.” Reportedly, little progress has been made from either side to reduce that gap as the season gets underway and talks start to slow down.
This is not the update the Kings would want at this time. Beyond this season the future of the club will undergo a systemic shift with the loss of their captain Anze Kopitar. It is imperative the Kings lock up the future and that starts with their top forward Adrian Kempe.
Adrian Kempe has amassed 194 goals and 208 assists for 402 points in 632 career regular season games. In the playoffs, he has recorded 15 goals and 14 assists for 29 points in 28 games.
