Thanks to a strong start to the year and several free agents having been taken off the board already, Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings is arguably the best pending unrestricted free agent forward for next summer. Up to this point, the last meaningful update to extension negotiations between the two sides came a little over a week ago, when David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the two sides remained far apart. Much of the gap between the Kings and Kempe is influenced by salary, with Martin Necas ’s new extension reportedly prompting Kempe to ask for $11.5M or more on his next deal. Before Necas’s extension, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman had speculated that Kempe would earn $10M or more on his next deal. After Pagnotta’s report on Oct. 30, there was growing concern that the Kings might have a more difficult time than initially expected in making Kempe the next centerpiece of their roster. Fortunately, a new report from Pagnotta Monday indicates that the two sides have re-engaged on a new cont
