According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, the Los Angeles Kings have agreed to a four-year contract with restricted free-agent Adrian Kempe.
Hearing that the Kings have agreed to a four year deal with Adrian Kempe. Sounds like the official announcement to come Saturday.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 8, 2022
LeBrun added that an official announcement might come on Saturday.
While the terms of the deal aren't official, TSN's Darren Dreger reports Kempe's new contract will be worth $22M in total.
4 years, $22 million total. https://t.co/aPGFMi0nfy
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 8, 2022
Kempe, 25, had a breakout campaign last season, leading the Kings with a career-high 35 goals. In 78 games, Kempe finished with 54 points (35 goals, 19 assists), second on the team behind Anze Kopitar (67 points).
On Tuesday, Kings' GM Rob Blake expressed the team's urgency to retain Kempe.
"One of the priorities for our organization is to get Adrian Kempe signed right away here," Blake told Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times. "Then we kind of know our situation if we have to address needs in free agency."
A first-round pick by the Kings in the 2014 draft, Kempe made his NHL debut in 2016. In six seasons with Los Angeles, Kempe has compiled 186 points (90 goals, 96 assists) in 390 career games. Kempe has six points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 11 playoff games with the Kings.
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