Kings, Kempe Eye Long-Term Deal with Massive Raise

“Certainly, I want to get him signed to a long-term deal. He’s an important part of the team,” Holland said. “I did talk to Adrian the day I was announced as manager and got really good feelings from him.”

Kempe, 28, is coming off another strong season in L.A., posting 35 goals and 38 assists for 73 points—matching his career-best. He led all Kings forwards in ice time (19:02 per game) and has been a consistent playoff performer, notching 23 points in his last 17 postseason games.

Originally selected 29th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft, Kempe broke out in 2021-22 and has since solidified himself as a top-line winger. His current four-year, $22 million deal, signed in 2022, has proven to be a bargain, and he could be looking for another $4-4.5 million per season.

Could Kempe Make $10 Million Per Year?

Kempe’s next deal could land in the seven-year, $64.225 million range ($9.175M AAV). However, The Fourth Period reports he may be targeting an even higher number—around $10 million annually. The Kings are feeling the pressure to get better, and Kempe’s agent will likely use the fear of losing him as leverage. Holland has already shown he’s willing to give out contracts that are richer than they should be.

With the NHL’s salary cap expected to rise to $104 million by 2026-27 and the Kings projected to have nearly $38 million in cap space next summer, Holland should have room to make Kempe the team’s highest-paid forward. The question now is whether Kempe is open to working with the team on his salary to ensure they can continue adding pieces to improve the roster. Or, will he take as much as the market will allow for?

If he’s super confident in his ability, he might not want to sign an eight-year deal, opting to sign a four-year deal and hoping the rise in salary cap earns him a few extra million on the back end.