The Los Angeles Kings and Adrian Kempe have agreed to an eight-year, $10.625-million average annual value contract extension, ESPN's Emily Kaplan [https://x.com/emilymkaplan/status/1990185419175063766?s=20] and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported [https://x.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1990186631127781812?s=20]. The 29-year-old is currently playing in the final season of a four-year, $5.5-million contract he signed on July 8, 2022. This season, Kempe has notched six goals and a team-high 19 points in 19 games. Kempe has blossomed into a first-line forward in the NHL and is on pace to set a new career high in points this season. The two previous seasons witnessed Kempe record north of 70 points and lead the Kings [http://thn.com/la] in points. Kempe will become the second-highest-paid player on the Kings roster, trailing just Drew Doughty, who is paid $11 million annually. Kempe's extension removes him from the 2026 free agent class, which continues to diminish after Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov, Martin Necas, and Kyle Connor signed extensions at some points during the 2025-26 season. Adrian Kempe (David Gonzales-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/fa0667d1-34ea-4999-a6f6-84aebaf67df2.jpeg] Adrian Kempe (David Gonzales-Imagn Images) Kempe's eight-year deal will pay him a total of $85 million and will run until the end of the 2033-34 season. TSN's Pierre LeBrun [https://x.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1990188807346356552?s=20] has reported that the contract is expected to be front-loaded. This was an important piece of business for Kings GM Ken Holland. Captain Anze Kopitar will retire following the season's end, and they desperately needed to retain their top scorer, who would have been one, if not the biggest free agent fish remaining. Standing 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, the 29th overall pick of the 2014 NHL draft is a vital piece of the Kings organization, and could very likely end his career as a King. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/6a98b924-8788-4d58-b46e-86615594e319.png] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription?_gl=1*weawab*_ga*NDAxOTY4NTMuMTc1NTg5NTA0Mg..*_ga_ZET34ZFCGX*czE3NjMzMzEzNTEkbzMzOCRnMSR0MTc2MzMzMzk3NSRqNTkkbDAkaDA.]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
