REPORT: LA Kings and Adrian Kempe Agree to Contract Extension

LA Kings fans, if you had an Adrian Kempe extension on your Christmas list, your gift came earlier than expected.

While you were enjoying your Sunday, Emily Kaplan of ESPN was the first one to report that the Kings and Kempe came to terms on an extension, ending an impasse that seemed like forever.

The Los Angeles Kings and Adrian Kempe have agreed to terms a new contract, sources told ESPN.

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) November 16, 2025

Sportsnet reporter Elliotte Friedman chimed in minutes later, revealing that the extension is for eight years with an AAV of $10.625 million.

Adrian Kempe and LA have agreed on an 8 year extension at an AAV of $10.625M

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 16, 2025

Kempe had been eligible for an extension since July 1st and stated in the past that he wanted to stay in Los Angeles long-term since the Kings were eliminated from the playoffs last season.

Adrian Kempe shared this morning he wants to be in LA for “as long as possible”.

Extension eligible on July 1. Admitted he hasn’t thought about it a ton just yet but reiterated he loves it here and seems to want to stay.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) May 5, 2025

Asked Adrian Kempe about a potential contract extension today and he seems very at ease with it all.

“We’ll take our time and hopefully get it done soon.”

Said he is “not in a huge rush” and there has definitely been communication between the sides.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) September 18, 2025

Inking Kempe to an extension was the number-one priority on general manager Ken Holland’s to-do list. Kempe, 29, has arguably been the Kings’ best player over the last four seasons. He’s netted 30+ goals three times, including a 41-goal season, and has led the Kings in scoring the previous two seasons.

Had the Kings lost Kempe to free agency, it would’ve been the third straight season their top free agent would have departed for nothing (Matt Roy and Vladislav Gavrikov were the other two), which would obviously not have been good if it got to that point with Kempe.

With the cap rising these next few years and seeing what other players around the league are signing for, the $10.625 million AAV is a bargain and good deal for both the Kings and Kempe. Also, June 30th is the last day teams can extend their players with eight-year contracts with the new CBA trimming that length to seven starting next year, so getting that extra year of term was probably important for Kempe. Perhaps Kempe will be named captain at some point during his new contract, with Drew Doughty in the twilight of his career.

Kings fans everywhere, rejoice!

UPDATE (7:53 PM PST)

The Athletic/TSN’s Pierre Lebrun is reporting that the deal is front-loaded.

Adrian Kempe has extended for 8 years at $10.625 M AAV per season with the Kings. Front loaded deal.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) November 16, 2025

Featured image credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images