Kings Keep Their Guy: How L.A. Landed Adrian Kempe Under $11 Million

The Los Angeles Kings got the deal they absolutely had to get done — and they did it on their terms. Adrian Kempe, the team’s leading scorer for two straight seasons and the heartbeat of their forward group, signed an eight-year extension on Sunday at a tidy $10.625 million AAV. That’s a big number, but the reality is: most people around the league expected this to creep north of $11 million. Some were downright convinced it would.

The Kings held the line. Kempe didn’t want to leave. And now he’ll be a King until 2034.

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Kings Secure Adrian Kempe Extension Under $11 Million

For months, these two sides were apart. Not hostile, not contentious — just far enough away that the possibility of an $11-plus deal was very real. L.A. isn’t exactly cash-strapped either. They could’ve gone there if they had to. They didn’t.

Why? Two reasons.

First, structure. L.A. built a deal that worked for Kempe without blowing up their internal salary hierarchy. Second, Kempe wanted to be in Los Angeles. He believes he can win there, and people close to the negotiation say he was willing to shave off a bit to make the fit work long-term. Kempe chose what he knew and what was comfortable, even if the market might have offered more.

How The Deal Came Together

The timing surprised some folks. The Kings were in Toronto last week, meeting face-to-face with agent J.P. Barry. Even then, the thought was that talks were progressing, but not necessarily at the finish line. Then came the push — a real effort to close before momentum slipped away. And momentum is exactly what the Kings have right now. They’ve found their stride, they’re stacking wins on a tough road trip, and locking in their top scorer only adds to that surge.

With Anze Kopitar nearing the end and the market shrinking fast, Los Angeles simply couldn’t risk dragging this into the offseason. They’ve secured a long-term pillar at a number that keeps their window wide open.

Kempe gets paid. The Kings keep their franchise winger, and they do so for under $11 million per season, staying a good $900K below Martin Necas‘ deal with the Colorado Avalanche.

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