The Los Angeles Kings signed star right wing Adrian Kempe to an eight-year contract extension worth $85 million, league sources told The Athletic on Sunday. The deal has an average annual value of $10.625 million.
This is the largest contract the Kings have signed since they extended franchise defenseman Drew Doughty with an eight-year, $88-million deal in 2018. The Kings have signed expensive contracts in recent years — most notably for Kevin Fiala (seven years, $55.125 million) and Quinton Byfield (five years, $31.25 million) — but nothing of this magnitude.
In his nine seasons with the Kings, Kempe has evolved from a late first-round pick in 2014 into their best player. He’s been a dangerous offensive threat since he moved from his original center position to the wing. Last season, Kempe tied for the team lead with 35 goals while pacing them in points for a second straight season with 73.
Over 19 games this season, Kempe has six goals and a team-leading 19 points. His 13 assists are tied with Byfield for the team high.
“For sure, I love it here,” Kempe told The Athletic during training camp. “My family loves it here. I always have. I appreciate the organization and everything they’ve done for me. The fans. You name it. This is where I want to play. I don’t want to go anywhere else. But it’s probably my last contract in my career here. If I sign an eight- or seven-year deal, I’ll be 37 or 38 when the deal’s done. It’s an important deal for me, for my family, for my future.”
Kempe’s extension begins in 2026-27 and marks an important bit of business by first-year general manager Ken Holland, who was determined to lock up his winger and who maintained consistent communication with his agent, J.P. Barry, throughout the process.
Kempe is finishing a four-year contract with a $5.5 million AAV, one that became a remarkable bargain for the Kings. Kempe signed that deal after a 35-goal breakout in 2021-22 and has followed up with seasons of 41, 28 and 35 goals. His 139 goals over the last four seasons are tied for 20th among all players.
“We saw all the talent he had,” Doughty said. “But I think the confidence just came out. He got more and more confident the more he played. And now he feels it. Confidence is a huge thing in this game. Even if you’ve been playing for as many years as me, if you’re not confident, you’re not going to perform well. He’s playing with confidence.
“He has all the skills in the world, all the talents in the world. As long as he competes and has that confidence, he’s going to be an unreal player.”
Among right wings, Kempe’s $10.625 million AAV sits fourth behind Vegas’s Mitch Marner ($12 million), Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen ($12 million) and Boston’s David Pastrnak ($11.25 million). It reflects the growing salary-cap ceiling and Kempe cashing in at the right time. His AAV is higher than Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov — though Kucherov’s extension began in 2019 and ends after the 2026-27 season.
The Kings needed to get this done. While they have a deep group of forwards, Kempe is one of their few dynamic talents, one capable of changing a game with his skill. Byfield and Fiala are also signed long-term, but Los Angeles is short on potential top-six scoring forwards outside of 2024 first-round pick Liam Greentree in its system. The contract is also a sign that the Kings don’t intend to engineer another rebuilding phase after going through one six years ago.
