Adrian Kempe heads into the 2026-27 season in a different kind of spotlight with the Los Angeles Kings. After signing an eight-year contract extension this past regular season, the winger is no longer just one of the club’s most reliable scorers. He’s stepping into the role of a franchise centerpiece.
The production has already been there for a while. Kempe put together another strong offensive season, finishing with 36 goals and 73 points in 81 games while also adding 37 assists and a plus-14 rating. He led the Kings in goals, assists, total points, and game-winning goals, and for a team that had real trouble generating offense and power-play success, he was the player driving most of the attack.
That level of output has become familiar. Kempe has now posted at least 70 points in three straight regular seasons, and he’s reached the 35-goal mark in four of his last five campaigns with Los Angeles.
His shooting numbers backed it up too, with a 15.9 shooting percentage, 2.8 points per 60, 9.1 point shares, and 1.2 WAR. Possession-wise, he also stayed in strong territory with a 57.5 CF%, 57.2 SCF%, and 53.9 HDCF%.
He was especially dangerous late in games. Kempe finished second in the NHL with four overtime goals and set career highs in overtime goals and total game-winning goals for the Kings last season. When the game tightened up in the third period or spilled into extra time, he delivered.
The one real sour note came in the playoffs. Against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, Kempe managed just one goal, one assist, and two points in four games.
Now the focus shifts to what comes next under the new deal. The upcoming season is the first of that eight-year extension, reported at around $85 million, and it gives Kempe a chance to do more than just pile up numbers. The Kings will be leaning on him as a face of the franchise.
There’s also a real opportunity for his game to climb again. A projected top line of Kempe, center Quinton Byfield, and winger Artemi Panarin gives him a chance to skate with major talent at even strength and on the top power-play unit. With Byfield expected to move into the first-line center role after Anze Kopitar’s retirement this offseason, the Kings are building around a new core.
That setup could put Kempe in position for another big offensive leap. Playing with Panarin for a full season for the first time raises the question of whether Kempe can reach 40 goals for just the second time in his NHL career.
There’s another milestone in reach, too. Kempe enters the season with 474 career points and needs 26 more to get to 500.
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Anton Forsberg is part of that question, which is what gives this battle its edge. Both goaltenders are entering the final year of their contracts, so the competition is about more than just training camp reps or early-season starts. For Kuemper, the challenge is clear: prove he can still be the goalie the Kings trusted, and do it before the season becomes a referendum on where this partnership goes next. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Face A Brutal Midseason Test That Could Define Them
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The timing makes it even trickier because the brief All-Star Weekend break arrives only after that run, before the Kings head back out for more road games against Dallas and St. Louis. Without Anze Kopitar in the mix, the burden shifts even more heavily onto the rest of the room to stay organized, keep their energy up and avoid the kind of lapses that can turn a tough stretch into a defining one. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Prospect Just Changed A Development Path Fans Should Watch
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His new college destination adds another layer to that path, with Boston University now in the picture after an earlier commitment elsewhere. For the Kings, the timing matters as much as the school itself, since Lefebvre is slated to keep playing with Cape Breton in 2026-27 before making the jump to BU, leaving a little more runway for his game to mature before his next major step. [Read more 🡒]