LA Kings: Five most important players for 2021 season
By Jack Weber
Adrian Kempe
The Kings still believe 2014 first-round pick Adrian Kempe has more to give, but they may be running of patience waiting for him to show it.
Kempe is fast and skilled, but his offensive production has been extremely inconsistent. He has flashes of brilliance where he’ll score some highlight-reel goals but is also prone to falling into deep slumps.
For example, he finished last season with just one goal in his final 24 games, and that goal was in 3-on-3 overtime.
This is a crucial season for Kempe. He needs to find more consistency. The Kings have been waiting a long time for him to break out, and the 24-year-old may be running out of chances to convince them that he should be part of their core moving forward.