Could Kempe Become The Highest-Paid Player In California?: Latest Projections Say He Could

Talks between right winger Adrian Kempe and the Los Angeles Kings have continued again, according to team president Luc Robitaille.

The NHL held the annual board of governors meeting this week in New York City, and several team executives around the league have made themselves available to the media.

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun had a discussion with Robitaille about Kempe’s future with the Kings and an update on negotiations. LA’s president admitted that Kempe’s representation and GM Ken Holland have been talking.

“I know Kenny is talking to Adrian and J.P. Barry, his agent,” Robitaille said.

“It’s still ongoing. It’s just finding the number that works for us and works for him. He’s a priority for us. Kenny told me the same and said they’re going to keep talking until they get it done.”

Based on the comments from Robitaille, it seems that talks between the team and player are back on after Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believed that they had a brief pause.

Kempe And Kings Looking To ‘Bridge The Gap’ In Contract Negotiations Adrian Kempe, who is one of the biggest names to be a UFA at the end of this season, is still without a contract extension.

LeBrun then made his prediction on what the average annual value for Kempe’s contract would look like on a long-term deal.

He projected an AAV of $11 million to $12 million for Los Angeles’ leading scorer. And as a 29-year-old, Kempe will likely look for a long-term contract, suggesting eight years would do the trick. 

Furthermore, the option to sign eight-year contract extensions will be extinct as of Sep. 16, 2026, under the new collective bargaining agreement.

With those latest contract projections, Kempe could become the highest-paid player in California, in terms of AAV. He would also be earning himself the healthy raise that he deserves as he is in the final year of his four-year, $5.5-million contract.

The player who currently earns the most annually in the Golden State is Kempe’s long-time teammate, defenseman Drew Doughty. 

Doughty has earned $11 million per season for the past seven seasons, with another year to go after this campaign.

In recent history, D-man Erik Karlsson was previously the highest-paid player in California when he was a member of the San Jose Sharks, before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Karlsson makes $11.5 million against the salary cap, and signed for a total ticket worth $92 million. 

Only time will tell if Kempe surpasses those numbers with the upgraded salary gap, which will continue to rise over the next number of seasons.