Ever since Connor McDavid announced his two-year contract extension worth just $12.5 million per season, social media has been ablaze with discussion on how the Oilers will spend the extra cap space at their disposal this summer.

Last week, amidst the Buffalo Sabres’ disastrous start, names like Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson started to pop up in trade rumours. On a recent episode of Oilersnation Everyday, NHL Network insider David Pagnotta dropped another intriguing name for the Oilers: Adrian Kempe.

The Oilers have gotten a front row seat for some of Kempe’s best work — he’s absolutely torched Edmonton for 15 goals and 29 points in 24 games over their past four playoff series head-to-head.

If the $11M+ figure suggested by Pagnotta is accurate, anyone looking to acquire Kempe will need to pay a premium. Is it feasible for the Oilers? And would he be worth that kind of money?

Kempe has averaged roughly 73 points per 82 games over the last three seasons. Impressive production considering his team has been outside of the top 10 in offence over that timeframe. There are a couple of ways he does serious damage, most notably off the rush. Kempe has a combination of speed and skill to carry the puck cleanly over the offensive blueline to create chances. Take a look at his percentiles relative to the rest of the league in both skating speed and key transition microstats:

The transition game has always been a strength for Edmonton. Kris Knoblauch has often emphasized the importance of his team playing with pace, and they certainly possess the speed and puck movers to facilitate that style of play. Adding Kempe to a team with the Oilers’ puck-moving defensemen could be like rocket fuel for his offensive game.

Kempe’s heavy, accurate shot would be an intriguing addition to Edmonton’s high-tempo offence, and it’s easy to picture him finishing off McDavid or Draisaitl dishes from the slot. He ranked in the top three on the Kings last season in goal, shot, and expected goal rates at 5-on-5 while shooting at roughly a 13% clip.

Defensively, Kempe isn’t elite, but he’s steady and smart enough to handle top competition. Where he really excels defensively is on the penalty kill. He has the third-lowest goals against rate among Kings forwards on the PK since 2022-23, and averages 1:29 minutes per night on the kill.

Overall, Kempe would bring a blend of speed and finish that could raise the Oilers’ offensive ceiling while providing utility in all situations for the remainder of McDavid’s current contract and beyond.

The biggest hurdle to bringing a player like Kempe in is whether the Oilers can fit him under the cap. If the Kings had a disastrous season and became surprise sellers, Kempe’s $5.5M cap hit would be attainable as a rental with salary retained, but could the Oilers target him in free agency?

Edmonton projects to have roughly $18.5M in cap space this offseason, but that number will shrink. Both goaltenders need new deals, Brett Kulak and multiple bottom-six forwards are UFAs, and then there’s the question of whether Skinner will be the goaltender in the future or someone else.

Even if the Oilers fill depth spots with efficient, cheap deals, it’s unlikely they will have much more than $11M remaining. It’s enough space for a quality starting goaltender (whether that’s Skinner or someone else), but not enough for Kempe on top of that.

The Oilers would need to move out at least one mid-tier contract to make room for Kempe’s next deal. It’s certainly possible for them to sign him, though it would be more feasible to sign someone slightly cheaper, like Alex Tuch or perhaps trade for a star who is already locked up to a value contract, like Tage Thompson, if such a piece became available. Kempe’s play justifies the rumoured $11M+ AAV cap hit, but for a player turning 30 years old in year one of his next deal, Edmonton would be wise to exercise caution with the money and term.

If he can’t strike a deal with the LA Kings, Kempe might be a piece that pushes Edmonton’s offence to new heights; there’s little doubt about that. Whether the Oilers can make the money and term work for them is yet to be determined.