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 forwards, signed an eight-year extension on Sunday for a tidy AAV of $10.625 million. That’s a big number, but the reality is: most people around the league expected that amount to exceed $11 million. Some were downright convinced that this would be the case.
The Kings held the line. Kempe didn’t want to leave. And now he will be king until 2034.
Pierre LeBrun broke off the deal, which reads as follows:
Kempe contract:
- 26-27: $1 million salary, $11 million signing bonus
- .27-28: $1 million salary, $11 million SB
- 28-29: $1 million salary, $11 SB
- 29-30: $2.5 million salary, $9.5 million SB
- 30-31: $9.75 million salary
- 31-32: $9.75 million salary
- 32-33: $8.75 million salary
- 33-34: $8.75 million salary
- Total SB: $42.5 million Salary total: $42.5 million AAV: $10.625 million
Kings nabs Adrian Kempe extension for less than $11 million
These two parties were separated for months. Not hostile, not controversial – just far enough away that the possibility of a deal above $11 was very real. LA isn’t exactly short of money either. If they had to, they could have gone there. They didn’t.
Why? Two reasons.
First: structure. LA made 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 negotiations say he was willing to shave some off to make the fit work in the long run. Kempe chose what he knew and what was comfortable, even if the market might have offered more.
How the deal came about
The timing surprised some people. The Kings were in Toronto last week and had a personal meeting with agent JP Barry. Even then, the idea was that the talks were progressing, but not necessarily at the finish line. Then came the push – a real attempt to close before the momentum slipped away. And momentum is exactly what the Kings have right now. They’ve found their way, they’re piling up wins on a tough road trip, and signing their top scorer only adds to that surge.
With Anze Kopitar nearing the end and the market shrinking rapidly, Los Angeles simply couldn’t risk dragging this into the offseason. They’ve secured a long-term mainstay on a song that keeps their window wide open.
Kempe gets paid. The Kings are retaining their franchise winger, and they’re doing so for less than $11 million per season, leaving them more than $900,000 below Martin Necas’ deal with the Colorado Avalanche.
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