Fresh off an eight-year contract extension this past regular season for the Los Angeles Kings, forward Adrian Kempe had another stellar year as one of the team's top offensive producers.
For the second straight regular season for the Kings, Kempe registered a 35-goal and 70-point season offensively. In this past regular season, Kempe led the Kings in goals (36), assists (37), and total points (73). He's also scored at least 70 points in the last three consecutive seasons and 35 goals in four out of the last five campaigns for the Kings.
Since his contract extension officially starts this year, Kempe is entering a new era with the Kings franchise going into the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Adrian Kempe 2025-26 player season recap
2025-26 season stats: 81 games played, 36 goals, 37 assists, 73 points, +14
2025-26 advanced stats: 15.9 shooting %, 15.8 5-on-5 shooting %, 2.8 points/60, 9.1 point shares, 1.2 WAR
2025-26 possession metrics: 57.5 CF%, 57.2 SCF%, 101.5 PDO, 53.9 HDCF%
Kempe was the spark that led a Kings team that really struggled to produce offensively and on special teams on the power play this past regular season. Leading the team in goals, assists, total points, and game-winning goals, Kempe was the Kings' best player in most significant offensive statistical categories this past regular season.
He's consistently been one of the team's top scorers in the last few seasons.
That said, Kempe did have a disappointing showing for the Kings in the first round of the postseason vs. the Colorado Avalanche. He scored just one goal, one assist, and two total points in four games against the Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs last spring.
Kempe proved to be a very clutch performer late in games in clutch time in the third period and in extra time in overtime this past regular season. He ranked second in the NHL with four overtime goals, and posted career-highs in overtime and total game-winning goals scored last season for the Kings.
Adrian Kempe 2026-27 Los Angeles Kings season preview
This upcoming season will the first year for Kempe playing under his new contract after signing a sizable eight-year contract extension worth around $85 million last fall with the Kings. It feels like Kempe is entering a new phase in his NHL career with the Kings. It's no longer about Kempe producing at a high level for the team offensively, it's about him becoming a face of the franchise.
The projected top forward line of Kempe, center Quinton Byfield, and star winger Artemi Panarin gives the recently extended Kings' winger a chance to play alongside some top weapons at even strength and on the top unit on special teams on the power play this upcoming season. Byfield is expected to move into that first-line center role this upcoming season after the retirement of Anze Kopitar this offseason.
There will be opportunities this season for Kempe to take his game to the next level. Getting to play with Panarin for a full season for the first time, can Kempe elevate his game and reach the 40-goal mark for just the second time in his NHL career?
It will also be interesting to see if this can be one of the better top forward lines in the Western Conference this season. The Kings and Kempe will have the pieces in place to be one of the better and more proven top six forward groups in the Pacific Division entering training camp and the preseason this fall.
A milestone that Kempe could realistically reach this upcoming season is 500 career points. He goes into the season with 474 career points, needing only 26 to reach 500.
Add us as a preferred source on Google