It might have taken longer than fans would have liked, but the Los Angeles Kings finally got an extension done with their star forward Adrian Kempe. The new deal reportedly will keep Kempe in Los Angeles for the next eight seasons with an AAV of $10.625, according to Elliotte Friedman.
While the fact that the Kings are keeping one of the more underrated forwards in the league is a win in itself, this helps the franchise start to change the perception around the league. It is a major win for new general manager Ken Holland and one that should help in the future.
Over the past few years, the Kings have seen some of their top players leave in free agency after failing to come to an agreement on a new deal. This past summer, it was defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, and the year before that was Matt Roy and Cam Talbot.
Ken Holland secures a huge win for the Los Angeles Kings with Adrian Kempe's extension
Kempe is the best of this group, and he undoubtedly would have generated a significant amount of interest in free agency. While he does get a significant bump in his AAV, which was $5.5 million, it is a bargain considering how much the salary cap is going up and what Kempe is able to do on the ice.
In the prior two seasons, Kempe led the team in points with 75 and 73, and looks to be on his way to leading the team again. Through 19 games, Kempe is averaging a point per game with 19 after recording six goals and 13 assists.
The Kings are a team that are going to be facing significant changes over the next year as Anze Kopitar has already announced this was his final season in the league. In addition to Kopitar, there are questions about how much time Drew Doughty has left playing with the Kings or NHL in general.
Adrian Kempe can now step into that role as being a leader for the Kings and a cornerstone of the franchise that they build around. At the very least, it eases nerves for the franchise and fans knowing that this won't Kempe's final season with the team and the focus can remain on the ice as they chase their fifth straight playoff appearance.