Kempe was a late scratch in Monday's win over the New York Rangers due to a lower-body injury. The 29-year-old forward has found instant chemistry since Artemi Panarin joined the team, scoring 12 points (6G / 6A) in 10 games.
Kempe was a late scratch in Monday's win over the New York Rangers due to a lower-body injury. Kings' Head Coach D. J. Smith indicated that Kempe almost played on Monday, suggesting his return to the lineup is likely near, possibly as soon as Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 29-year-old forward has found instant chemistry since Artemi Panarin joined the team, scoring 12 points (6G / 6A) in 10 games.
Kempe was a late scratch in Monday's win over the New York Rangers due to a lower-body injury. Kings' Head Coach D. J. Smith indicated that Kempe almost played on Monday, suggesting his return to the lineup is likely near, possibly as soon as Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 29-year-old forward has found instant chemistry since Artemi Panarin joined the team, scoring 12 points (6G / 6A) in 10 games.
Kempe was a last-minute scratch on Monday, with the Kings only announcing his absence minutes before puck drop. Kempe took full part in warmups and it's unclear when exactly he suffered the injury. We should get an update on his status ahead of the Kings' game against the Flyers on Thursday.
Kempe missed three games while in COVID-19 protocol but is expected to play Sunday in New Jersey. Kempe, who has 24 points (17G / 7A) in 38 games, should be back on the Kings' top line.
Kempe likely will not be available for Monday's in San Jose after being added to the COVID-19 protocol list on Sunday afternoon. Samuel Fagemo replaced Kempe on the top line in Sunday's practice.
Kempe was a healthy scratch vs. the Wild on Tuesday but is expected to replace Carl Grundstrom vs. the Red Wings. After posting 37 and 28 points in the last two seasons, Kempe has struggled to a 19-point pace in 2019-20.
Kempe has appeared in all 17 games so far this season but has been held pointless in his last four games and played a season-low 9:21 TOI on Saturday. Nikolai Prokhorkin is expected to replace him in the lineup.
Kempe gets a three-year deal nine days before training camp after registering 28 points (12G / 16A) in 81 games last season. Despite seeing an uptick in ice-time, Kempe’s numbers decreased in his second full season. Decreased shot volume was the main component to his drop in goals and a big dip in on-ice SH% affected his assist total. Expect him to centre the Kings second line in 2020, which makes him a candidate to return to 15 goals and 20-plus assists.
