Los Angeles Kings may not be able to re-sign Adrian Kempe
sports network: Elliott Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas Talk 32 Thoughts: Podcast – An episode focusing on the hockey world regarding the Los Angeles Kings and Adrian Kempe’s contract situation. How could the Kings not renew Kempe’s contract?
** Transcribed by NHLRumors.com
Friedman: “So I understand Kempe, the talks are on hold. I understand they should resume at the end of October. I believe that’s the plan.
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Again, you know, I watched Kempe, and he played a role in the Kings’ second goal on Thursday night and then Byfield set him up for the overtime game-winner. I just looked at this and I said, how could the Kings not do this?
This is. I know it’s gone, I think they were around $9 million in the beginning. I know things have changed, that’s number one. Second, I think they wanted to see if they could attack (Connor) McDavid. That didn’t happen. From what I understand, the Kings are one of the teams preparing to travel to Toronto and meet with them on July 1 if Marner transfers. That obviously didn’t happen. The Golden Knights crossed it off the board.
So I realized the Kings wanted to get on base. They wanted to get to the plate with a Freddy Guerrero bat. They want to make some big changes. Well, is there anyone better than what you already have? Do you think you could reasonably find someone better than the one you already have?
Now, if people want to argue with me and say, Kempe is not at the level of Marner or other players, well, you can make that argument. But you operate with what you have. Is this more than they originally wanted to pay him? Yes, absolutely. But when you look at them and you imagine they don’t, I think he wants to stay. So the Kings have some help in that regard.
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But I’m just imagining, if you don’t keep this guy and he’s gone, how do you make yourself better? But that doesn’t mean that if you leave, you’ve lost $11 billion. But overall, the big picture is, if he’s not there, and obviously he wants to be king, how do you make yourself better? “
Bukauskas: “It’s hard to do. I mean, a few years ago I usually knew people who were 28, but last year I knew people who were 35, 41, 35. Those are not the easiest to find.”
Friedman: “No. Scoring is the hardest to get, the hardest.”
Bukauskas: “When you’ve got them on the team, like you said, as long as the numbers add up and want to stay on the team. It’s a tough process. It’s not exactly, you know, Minnesota’s (Kiril) Kaprizov has to do what they have to do to Let them stay there. But it’s a tough sell for the other fans in Los Angeles, and we don’t feel like we can exercise all of our options to get it done, not just now, but where they want to continue to be.”
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Friedman: “Yeah. Just like Ken Holland wasn’t hired to rebuild.”
Bukauskas: “No, no, no, that is, those are not rebuilding moves. They are not rebuilding moves.”
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