The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Adrian Kempe to an eight-year, $85 million contract extension with an average annual value of $10.625 million. The deal keeps the 29-year-old homegrown talent in Los Angeles long-term after he led the team with 19 points in 19 games this season. Meanwhile, defenseman Drew Doughty is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury, and forward Andrei Kuzmenko has been a healthy scratch amid performance struggles.
The Los Angeles Kings announced on Monday that they have extended star winger Adrian Kempe for eight years at $85 million, averaging $10.625 million annually. Kempe, selected 29th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft, is in his 10th season with the team and has amassed 420 points, including 200 goals, in 649 games. This season, he leads the Kings with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 19 games, maintaining a point-per-game pace. "I'm really happy. Feels good... excited to be here for another eight," Kempe said. General manager Ken Holland praised Kempe as "an elite competitor" and a key leader for the contending team, which currently tops the Pacific Division after winning four straight games, including the first four of a six-game road trip.
In other news, veteran defenseman Drew Doughty suffered a lower-body injury during the second period of Saturday's game against the Ottawa Senators, when he was hit on the foot by a shot from Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven. The 35-year-old did not return and is out week-to-week, unrelated to his previous ankle injury. Head coach Jim Hiller noted the team's familiarity with such setbacks: "We have gone through it before... he’s week to week, not month to month. We can kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel." To adjust, Hiller plans to pair Brian Dumoulin with Mikey Anderson, Cody Ceci with Jacob Moverare, while increasing minutes for Brandt Clarke and Joel Edmundson.
Forward Andrei Kuzmenko, acquired last season, has faced challenges, dropping in the lineup and becoming a healthy scratch for the second straight game after averaging just seven minutes of ice time recently. In 17 games, he has three goals and seven points. Hiller acknowledged Kuzmenko's past contributions but emphasized tough choices with veterans: "He will be back in... and I expect him to be a big part of our team before it’s over." The Kings, on a hot streak, face the Washington Capitals next, aiming for a fifth consecutive win.
