On Thursday, another 2026 pending UFA was taken off the board as the Colorado Avalanche inked right winger Martin Necas to an eight-year, $11.5-million deal.

Even though that’s another star player being removed from the 2026 free agency class, Los Angeles Kings right winger Adrian Kempe is still on that list.

In fact, Kempe might just be the most coveted free agent when the time comes, along with New York Rangers left winger Artemi Panarin.

Nonetheless, what does Necas’ contract extension mean for Kempe and his next deal? Let’s dive in.

For starters, there are some similarities between the two players. They’re both right wingers on the top line of their respective teams.

With that, Necas is coming off a short-term deal - a two-year contract at $6.5 million per season. Kempe could say he’s in the same boat in that regard, as the Swede wraps up his four-year contract that sees him earn $5.5 million in average annual value.

However, there are several differences between the two star players. For one, Kempe is far more important to the Kings than Necas is to the Avalanche, which has superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar at his disposal.

With Anze Kopitar retiring and an aging core, the 29-year-old Kempe will be, and has been, carrying the load for the team for the last little while.

In 11 games this season for the Kings. There have been only two contests when Kempe didn't get his name on the scoresheet. In addition, he has two overtime-winners that came in back-to-back games.

Kempe Plays Hero Again To Lift The Kings Past The Stars Kempe's heroics and timely saves seal another overtime triumph. The Kings battle hard, securing a crucial two points.

Not only is the talent there, but his ability to come up in the big moments, as well as his undeniable consistency for the team, he’s proven him to be worth every dollar that Necas will be receiving, if not more.

Every team has different circumstances when it comes to negotiations. Looking at the Minnesota Wild and Kirill Kaprizov, he signed the richest contract in NHL history, earning $17 million per season.

Not long after, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, known as the greatest player in the game, signed a contract that paid him substantially less than what Kaprizov gets, $12.5 million to be exact.

Therefore, it’s not about how great a player is and where they rank among the league’s best. It also matters how important a player is to their respective team, like Kaprizov is to the Wild.

Kempe’s representation is in a position to raise that narrative at the negotiation table, with how much he means to the Kings franchise.

With all conditions considered, his contribution to the team’s success, a highly coveted pending UFA, and his consistency, among other circumstances, it wouldn’t make sense if Kempe didn’t sign a contract that was at least identical to Necas’ latest deal. 

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