Edmonton Oilers
Insider Says Oilers “Quasi Lurking In the Weeds” On Rival Star Winger
Could Oilers Adrian Kempe be a future star for Edmonton? Learn about trade chatter and his contract situation with the Kings.
The Edmonton Oilers may be quietly keeping tabs on a potential future opportunity involving Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe. While no trade discussions are believed to have taken place, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period and NHL Network is reporting that the Oilers are “quasi lurking in the weeds” as the Kings attempt to navigate a difficult contract negotiation with their star winger.
Kempe, who has become one of the league’s most reliable top-line scorers, is reportedly seeking a significant raise. His next deal could come in around $11 million per season, and if he hits the open market, that number might climb closer to $12 million given his production and two-way game. Having said that, his current cap hit is $5.5 million, and if the Kings feel like they might be forced to move on, they could retain salary in any trade.
Talks between the Kings and Kempe’s camp reportedly began in the summer, with Los Angeles initially targeting a figure below $9 million. Kempe was in the 10s and now, as the salary cap continues to rise, those early numbers are no longer close to what Kempe’s camp believes is fair value.
While Kempe has expressed a desire to remain in Los Angeles, the gap between both sides has paused negotiations for now. The Kings plan to revisit talks later this month, but if progress stalls, teams like Edmonton are expected to monitor the situation closely. They won’t be the only ones.
Oilers Being Linked to Kempe, Much Like Connection to Tuch
The Oilers’ interest makes sense — they’ve lost multiple top-six wingers over the past year and continue to search for scoring depth alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Other insiders have linked them to Alex Tuch out of Buffalo, so logically, connecting the dots on a player like Kempe makes sense, too. He combines elite finishing with responsible two-way play, which would immediately bolster Edmonton’s offensive core.
Next: Oilers Recent Trade Pattern Suggests a Tuch Trade Unlikely
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