Kings sign Kempe to 4-year extension with $5.5M AAV

The Los Angeles Kings extended Adrian Kempe on a four-year contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million, the team announced.

The 25-year-old, who was a pending restricted free agent, enjoyed a breakout season in 2021-22. He led the Kings with 35 goals and ranked second with 54 points over 78 games.

Kempe is coming off a three-year deal with a $2-million cap hit. The Swede has played six seasons with the Kings, who drafted him 29th overall in 2014.

Los Angeles now has approximately $12 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly. The team has seven more RFAs, including promising defenseman Sean Durzi, along with four UFAs, including Alexander Edler and Andreas Athanasiou.