Los Angeles Kings Sign Adrian Kempe To 8-Year Extension
The Los Angeles Kings got their most important bit of business done early, securing the Adrian Kempe extension that fans have been waiting on.
The 29-year-old winger has agreed to an eight-year, 85 million dollar contract that carries a 10.625 million dollar cap hit and runs through the 2033-34 season. For a team bracing for captain Anze Kopitar’s looming retirement, locking in their best goal scorer was non-negotiable, and general manager Ken Holland finally pushed it across the line.
Kempe Extension Shows Commitment On Both Sides
Kempe was shaping up to be one of the headliners of the 2026 free agent class, but his new deal takes that drama off the board and keeps him with the only NHL organization he has ever known.
He is coming off back-to-back seasons as the Los Angeles Kings’ leading scorer and has opened this year with six goals and 19 points in 19 games, once again tracking toward 30-plus goals and point-per-game territory.
Since his breakout in 2021-22, he has banked 145 goals in 337 games, which puts him among the top finishers in the league and already up to 200 career goals and 420 points in 649 games for the franchise.
The Kings have extended Adrian Kempe on an 8 year deal with an AAV of $10.625M per @FriedgeHNIC 💰 pic.twitter.com/rEOOcrY5wr
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 16, 2025
The dollar figure is significant, but there is a sense Kempe could have squeezed even more if he wanted to chase every last bit of comparison to contracts like Martin Necas’ recent monster deal. Instead, his camp appears to have leaned into staying in Los Angeles, where he believes the Kings can contend for a Stanley Cup as the core turns from Kopitar and Drew Doughty to a group built around himself and Kevin Fiala.
With this extension, Kempe will become the highest-paid forward on the roster and potentially the highest-paid player once Doughty’s contract expires later in the decade.
How Adrian Kempe’s Deal Shapes The Kings’ Window
With Kopitar expected to retire after this season, losing Kempe on top of that would have gutted the top of their lineup and forced them into a retool that ownership has no interest in.
Instead, they now move into the next phase with a prime-age first-line winger locked in and an estimated 23.1 million dollars in cap space still available for next season, along with seven open roster spots to retool around him. That flexibility gives Holland room to add center help, reinforce the wings around Kempe, and avoid a slide out of the playoff picture.
Adrian Kempe and LA have agreed on an 8 year extension at an AAV of $10.625M
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 16, 2025
Kempe has already helped drag the Kings back to relevance, playing a major role in four straight playoff appearances and repeatedly cracking the 30-goal mark while still bringing a physical edge with 100-plus hits each year.
This deal essentially formalizes what has been obvious the last few seasons: as Kopitar steps away, Kempe is the offensive face of the franchise.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
