
As the 2025-26 season approaches, one thing that will continue to follow the Los Angeles Kings around, until it is completed, is the pending contract situation for star forward, Adrian Kempe.
As the new season inches closer, we will take a quick look at how his 2024-25 season was, what fans should expect from him, and we will provide a stat prediction as Kempe enters the final season of his current contract.
Last season, Kempe played 81 games, scoring 35 goals and adding 38 assists for 73 points. In six playoff games, he scored four goals and added six assists for 10 points. He finished tied for first in goals with Kevin Fiala, first in points, and second in assists. He was also tied for third on the team in plus-minus and was one of four Kings who scored a shorthanded goal.
Kempe has earned a reputation of being seriously underrated, and heading into his contract year, where he could be in for a huge pay raise, he is coming off a solid season that he is looking to build off of. His two-way game is solid, he drives the play offensively, and he is arguably one of the most well-rounded players in the NHL, which showed last season.
Kempe should be able to lead the Kings in points next season, and the team will lean on him to provide the majority of the offensive production both on the man advantage and at even strength. There may be some added pressure on him to prove his worth if he is looking for double digits annually on his next contract, but with that in mind, fans should expect him to remain at an elite level that helps the Kings push for a playoff spot.
Next season, I would guess Kempe scores 40 goals and adds 49 assists for 89 points through 82 games played. It would be the first time in his career he breaks the point-per-game average in a full season, and he would have career highs in goals, assists, and points, and I think he can do it.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see him lead the Kings in all three statistics as well, and he will be a key factor in helping the Kings make a push for the postseason, and hopefully, push for a Stanley Cup.
Stay tuned in with your Los Angeles Kings here at The Hockey News, as the 2025-26 season inches closer.