The Los Angeles Kings this offseason were able to re-sign Andrei Kuzmenko, and at some point, need to work out a new extension with Alex Laferriere, who is a restricted free agent. However, the big contract negotiation that is lingering out there is with Adrian Kempe.
Kempe has been the Kings' best player and is not only right in the midst of the prime of his career but also entering the final year of his contract. The past few years, the Kings have made the mistake of letting some of their top players play that final year of their contract, just to see them leave in free agency like Vladislav Gavrikov.
If the Kings go this same route with Adrian Kempe, the rest of the league would be very happy, as they would all be lining up to try and sign the star forward. It appears that general manager Ken Holland is fully aware and recently said on SiriusXM that while they haven't started, he expects to begin negotiations this summer.
Based on some recent contracts around the league, and with a rising salary cap, the Kings probably are going to have to offer something with an AAV of at least $12 million for the maximum term of eight years. However, Kempe is crucial to this team that it doesn't feel like much of an overpay if that is the contract.
LA Kings are not expected to extend Anze Kopitar this summer
While Kempe is a priority for the Kings, one player they are going to wait on is their captain Anze Kopitar. The Kings' general manager confirmed he did try to have discussions about extending him but Kopitar made it clear that he wants to take it one year at a time.
In this scenario, the Kings shouldn't be overly concerned as Kopitar has played his entire career in Los Angeles. He has helped them win two Stanley Cups and as Holland notes he has earned the right to go at his pace with a new contract.
This doesn't feel like an Adrian Kempe situation as Kopitar might not have as robust of a market and probably would be willing to work out a contract that makes sense for both sides to remain with the team that drafted him.