Will Kyle Connor get more money than Adrian Kempe?
On July 18, on the NHL tonight on the NHL Network, Bill Bidto, Mike Rupp and Stu Grimson discussed the impact of the Adrian Kempe negotiations on the Winnipeg Jets and Kyle Connor.
nhlrumors.com Transcription
Bill Pidto: “How could Kyle Connor’s potential negotiations affect what could happen to Kyle Connor?”
Mike Rupp: “Yes. I mean, I think it’s, like we said, it’s almost, I don’t want to say resetting the market. Connor McDavid will reset the market. So players like Adrian Kempe can set up bars. And I think like Kyle Connor and his camp, you guys are very close. Get 10 because if he gets 10, I mean, what does that mean to me?
Stu Grimson: “These are personal discussions players are now having with their rep. Considering Kempe’s point of asking Mike to ask Mike, there’s no doubt that Connors will get advice, ‘Hey, Kempe, you’re going to be really good now. Let’s stick with it now. If he’s really good. If you come to the negotiating table, pin it on the board, Connor should get a big step in his ultimate AAV.”
nhlrumors.com comment
There will be many large free agents next year in 2026. But, as we saw in 2025, many of them stay home because these teams have an advantage as salary cap increases. But, as we see in every negotiating and free agent class, the signatures first open up the market for other players. This will happen if Kempe signed Connor. If you look at comparables, Connor is a better player than Kempe and both get $10 million, considering that both the Winnipeg Jets and the Los Angeles Kings will lose either player.
It will be interesting to see how these negotiations work.
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