Adrian Kempe is going to get a big contract (and the LA Kings can't wait)

There is no reason to drag out negotiations with their top free agent next offseason.
Colorado Avalanche v Los Angeles Kings
Colorado Avalanche v Los Angeles Kings | Ronald Martinez/GettyImages

The Los Angeles Kings lost one of their top players this offseason with Vladislav Gavrikov leaving in free agency to sign with the New York Rangers. However, the Kings can learn something from this and make sure they don't make the same mistake with their top free agent next offseason in Adrian Kempe.

Recently, Elliotte Friedman said on the '32 Thoughts' podcast that he believes Adrian Kempe will want "a very big number". Kempe has certainly earned that and the Kings shouldn't wait to get a deal done.

The Kings forward is entering the final year of his contract and is coming back-to-back seasons with 73 or more points. He also has had 35 or more goals in three of the past four seasons and has been the Kings' top playmaker for a while now.

For a team that believes they are right on the cusp of a Stanley Cup or should be considered a Stanley Cup contender, there is no one more important than Kempe.

Adrian Kempe's contract demands will only get bigger if he doesn't have one before this upcoming season for the LA Kings

The longer contract negotiations drag on, the more likely players are going to be willing to test free agency. That seemed to be the case for Gavrikov as former general manager Rob Blake said at the trade deadline in March that they had begun discussing a new contract.

However, nothing was completed, and as other players signed extensions, the contract demands only went up for Gavrikov.

If the Kings are not able to get a new deal done this summer, Kempe really has no reason to agree to an extension and it would probably be better for him to see what he could find in free agency.

The Kings next season are projected to have over $37 million in cap space so they should have no issue getting a new contract done. By doing it now, they ensure their top star isn't going anywhere any time soon, and it does not have to be a storyline for this franchise over the course of the season.