Adrian Kempe's New Contract Extension Gives Him A Nearly 100% Raise In Annual Salary

The hockey season is about a month underway, but that isn't stopping teams from setting up for the future. And the Los Angeles Kings' long-term outlook appears a lot brighter now that they've inked star right wing Adrian Kempe to a contract extension.

Kempe and the Kings agreed to an eight-year, $85 million deal. The contract begins in the 2026-27 season and has an average annual value of $10.625 million. Kempe was previously making $5.5 million per year, so this new deal nearly doubles the old one.

So far, Kempe has been worth the investment. He led the Kings in points last season with 73—the second consecutive year he's topped the team in points—and tied for the team best with 35 goals. As of this writing, he's once again leading the Kings in points this season.

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The Kings drafted Kempe in 2014. He's played a bit of center, though he's had his best success as a right winger. And this extension puts him among the highest-paid right wingers in the league. Only Vegas's Mitch Marner and Dallas's Mikko Rantanen ($12 million apiece) and Boston's David Pastrnak ($11.25 million) have a higher average annual value in their contracts.

Kempe turned 29 in September, so this new deal will keep in in Los Angeles until he's 37 years old. As long as he keeps up his strong defensive play and shot creation, this should work out to be a fair contract over time, even if he loses a step or two of his impressive breakaway speed.

Now, the attention turns toward sustained success on the ice. The Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2014 and have not won a playoff series since. That includes four straight first-round exits over the past four seasons. Coincidentally, all four of those series losses have come against the Edmonton Oilers, so maybe the key for the Kings is to just play any other team besides Edmonton.

That's likely easier said than done, but at least Los Angeles knows it'll have a core piece of the franchise for years to come.