The Edmonton Oilers are purportedly keeping a close eye on a developing situation out on the West Coast. In particular, the club could be monitoring the ongoing contract negotiations between the Los Angeles Kings and impending UFA Adrian Kempe.
The narrative surrounding Kempe and the Kings is that both sides want to remain together for the foreseeable future. However, some reports suggest that the two sides are far apart in dollar terms.
That situation could lead the Oilers, according to insider David Pagnotta, to potentially swoop in to pluck Kempe away from the Kings if the two sides cannot hash out a deal.
Pagnotta, speaking on the Oilersnation podcast on October 15, offered the following insights:
“I don’t know if L.A. has made up any significant ground in terms of bridging the financial gap. And that’s one of the reasons they put a pause in the negotiations for the time being… With the changing of the landscape, they’ve got to figure that out from the L.A. side of things, and understand that it’s gonna cost you a lot to keep this guy.”
Pagnotta added:
“There are teams like Edmonton and others that are quasi-lurking in the weeds just curious as to where this is gonna go… There are gonna be a number of potential suitors that are gonna go after this guy… The Kings and (GM) Kenny Holland have to accept the fact that his contract’s likely gonna be in the 11s.”
Kempe would be just the type of winger the Oilers need to play alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Landing Kempe could become a reality, especially if the Kings decide they just cannot keep Kempe in the fold moving forward.
Kempe Won’t Come Cheap for Oilers
Assuming the Kings get to a point where they must move Kempe, the cost to land him won’t come cheap. The Kings will want to get something back to replace Kempe’s production. Now, that’s an interesting point, as not too many teams could offer an immediate replacement for Kempe.
As such, the Kings may have to settle for a package of prospects and draft picks. That’s something the Oilers don’t have very much of. Unless the Oilers were willing to part with one of their top prospects, like Matthew Savoie or Isaac Howard, the club won’t have much to entice the Kings with.
Signing Kempe Won’t Come Cheap, Either
Even if the Oilers were to prey on the Kings’ desperation, they would still have to sign Kempe. That situation could mean another complex situation for the team.
The talk is that Kempe’s new contract could come in over $10 million AAV. As Pagnotta suggests, the deal could end up somewhere in the $11 million range. Perhaps Kempe’s camp is looking at Kyle Connor’s contract with the Winnipeg Jets as a comparable. If that’s the case, they could be pushing for $12 million AAV.
Just for argument’s sake, let’s assume Kempe comes in around $11.5. Would the Oilers have enough cap room to fit that cap hit? According to PuckPedia, the Oilers would have about $18 million heading into next season.
By that standard, it’s doable. However, the Oilers may just bide their time and see if they can sign him via free agency next summer.
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