Kempe Contract Watch Thread {Signed 8-year, $85 million - $10.63 AAV}

[DryKing]

View attachment 13069

How the Sabres & Alex Tuch Are Impacted by Recent Contract Extensions Around the NHL - The Hockey Writers Buffalo Sabres Latest News, Analysis & More

With the recent contract extensions in the NHL, what does it mean for Buffalo Sabres pending UFA Alex Tuch?

thehockeywriters.com

Reality is that Kempe is more valuable than Tuch, however. Not many players can average a point per game in the playoffs, and doing so puts Kempe in elite company.

 

[VCRW]

Reality is that Kempe is more valuable than Tuch, however. Not many players can average a point per game in the playoffs, and doing so puts Kempe in elite company.

And he is playing at greater than a point per game (9 points in 7 games) so far this season. And so obviously the guy the players look to with Kopi off the ice.

 

[Birdman]

Pay that man his monies

 

[hokiecat]

Pay that man his monies

Been saying that all summer long.

Do it Deano

 

[Statue4Deano]

Ranking the Top 5 NHL front offices:

NHL front-office rankings: Every quote from the 37 execs surveyed in 2025

Want to read every last word we collected surveying execs about what the NHL's top front offices do best?

www.nytimes.com

Kings front office received 1 5th place vote. That’s better than 0 votes I suppose.

 

[santiclaws]

Ranking the Top 5 NHL front offices:

NHL front-office rankings: Every quote from the 37 execs surveyed in 2025

Want to read every last word we collected surveying execs about what the NHL's top front offices do best?

www.nytimes.com

Kings front office received 1 5th place vote. That’s better than 0 votes I suppose.

I see everyone was allowed to vote for themselves

 

[VCRW]

Players tied for 11th in scoring with 11 points so far this season. Pretty good company, Mr. Holland.

S. Crosby
PIT
11

N. MacKinnon
COL
11

A. Kempe
LA
11

C. McDavid
EDM
11

J. Bratt
NJ
11

M. Boldy
MIN
11

S. Jarvis
CAR
11

M. Celebrini
SJ

 

[NewCastle]

A short mention of Kempe in Friedman's 32 Thoughts (mentioned at #6). But what's more important is the embedded video right below it that's worth checking out as Bernstein talks with Mike Futa.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/articl...in-danger-zone-as-season-begins-to-slip-away/

And I am watching Futa the whole time, and I swear I can see on his face -- "if Luc had just given me a shot, he'd have a different team." (I wanna see that parallel universe) You can tell Futa would've had the Kempe deal done over the summer.

 

[dneprovec]

If Harley got 10.6 millions and yes he's defender

Kempe should get close to 14

 

[DryKing]

If Harley got 10.6 millions and yes he's defender

Kempe should get close to 14

Harley is one of the best young defenders in the league, though, so more like $12m

 

[Pickle_Pucks]

Logan Cooley (who?) just got 10 million....

Holland not getting this deal done in the summer is worse than Ceci...

At this point Kempe has to be drooling to become a FA, someone will offer 12.5-13, unquestionably.

 

[VCRW]

Logan Cooley (who?) just got 10 million....

Holland not getting this deal done in the summer is worse than Ceci...

At this point Kempe has to be drooling to become a FA, someone will offer 12.5-13, unquestionably.

Yup. Every passing day without a contact tells Juice that the UFA route is the way.

Cooley signs 8-year, $80 million contract with Mammoth | NHL.com

Forward leads Utah in goals, is 2nd in points this season; deal begins in 2026-27

www.nhl.com

 

[dneprovec]

Logan Cooley (who?) just got 10 million....

Holland not getting this deal done in the summer is worse than Ceci...

At this point Kempe has to be drooling to become a FA, someone will offer 12.5-13, unquestionably.

He was 2 or 3 pick by Arizona
He's actually could be a new Marner ,Eichel type

 

[Birdman]

He was 2 or 3 pick by Arizona
He's actually could be a new Marner ,Eichel type

That’s a big maybe for $10M per.

Byfield at a discount now

 

[Halfwall]

That’s a big maybe for $10M per.

Byfield at a discount now

He's 21 folks. Forget Kempe, he will be traded.

 

[DarkLeftHand]

He's 21 folks. Forget Kempe, he will be traded.

If Kempe’s asking for 14 mill per, you’re probably right. Especially if Holland was brought in with the directive of a quick retool/minor tweaking to get beyond 1st round of playoffs, and barring that outcome.. strip the roster down and trade everyone, for a full scale rebuild.

 

[DarkLeftHand]

That’s a big maybe for $10M per.

Byfield at a discount now

Yeah, I guess the new reality is that scoring wingers get 9 to 12 mill, while scoring centers get 11 to 14 mill. So that being said, I’ll give you that Byfield does look like a discount.

 

[Statue4Deano]

Let’s be real. Holland isn’t in control of these negotiations, Luc is. Holland was brought in to be his puppet and the longer it takes to get this deal done the more obvious it becomes that it’s a cost saving move.

 

[Statue4Deano]

 

[VCRW]

Video posted above leaves me both confused and frustrated. What the hell does Holland/Luc have in mind? Stalling on the contract has already cost the organization millions. I believe they are hoping to orchestrate a big trade rather than pay Juice the $11 to $11.5 million. That seems to make sense if one believes management initially tried lowballing their best player.