In today’s NHL rumors rundown, we start off by looking at the future of the Dallas Stars and their arena situation, which could see them move outside of the city for their new rink. Next, we look at Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings, who is looking for a big extension. Finally, we will look at Kyle Connor and his future with the Winnipeg Jets.
Stars Looking Outside City For New Arena Options
The Stars have been playing in the American Airlines Center for the past 25 years, and are locked into their lease until 2031, but upon the end of that agreement, they may need to find a new home.
Eric Fisher and Daniel Roberts of Front Office Sports are reporting that the Dallas Mavericks are going to part ways and have their own facility, and the Stars are going to look at Plano, Texas, as their future home.
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There was a meeting with 21 of the Stars shareholders, and the current front-runner would be Plano, with Arlington and Frisco being mentioned as well. Plano is 20 miles from the current arena, which would still keep it in the Dallas area, but with the current arena in the heart of downtown, it could be a controversial decision within the fanbase.
Kempe Deal Not Expected to Be Done by Start of Season
There have been some conversations about what to expect with Kempe and the Kings, and while it hasn’t been one of the biggest stories regarding 2026 free agents, he could make a significant amount of money on his next deal. The Athletic’s Eric Stephens writes, “Kempe said he didn’t expect a contract to be completed before the opener. He had hoped it would happen when he spoke to reporters on the first day of training camp, but said he would be OK with talks going on into the season.”. (from Will Adrian Kempe become the next eight-figure King? Is he a $10 million player?, The Athletic, Oct. 4, 2025)
Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Stephens looks at Nikolaj Ehlers as a fairly close comparable, but believes he will earn more than the $8.5 million Ehlers got in free agency from the Carolina Hurricanes.
Elliotte Friedman spoke on The FAN Hockey Show and stated that Kempe is going to look at $10.5 million as the mark he wants to hit with the new deal after seeing Kirill Kaprizov secure a $17 million average value on his deal.
Kempe has become a regular 35-goal, 70-point winger who plays excellent defensively. Not only that, but in the playoffs, Kempe has played some of his best hockey.
“Yeah, we need to get him re-signed…he’s worth every penny. A lot of people don’t know how good Adrian is, except for us that are here seeing him every day. He’s solid defensively. He can (penalty kill) for us. … He’s essential for us. He’s an L.A. King. He plays with a lot of pride and competes hard and plays both ways. He’s a true L.A. King.”
Drew Doughty via The Athletic
Kempe is clearly a crucial part of this team, and with Anze Kopitar announcing his retirement, the Kings will need players to step up when he parts from the team.
Kyle Connor On Track To Become Highest-Paid Jet
With so many talks about 2026 free agents, one of the top names is Connor. He is making just over $7.1 million until the end of this season, and given the trajectories of salaries over the offseason, he is due for a big raise.
Murat Ates of The Athletic recently did a mailbag surrounding the Jets, and of course, the top question was about Connor’s future with the team. (from How much did Kyle Connor’s next contract just jump? Jets mailbag, Part 2, The Athletic, Oct. 2, 2025)
Ates writes, “He’s earned a lot of money. The Jets are prepared to pay him a lot of money. The relationships are good and both sides want to see a deal get done…there’s work to be done, though.”
The Jets have found a great string of regular-season success over the past few years, and while the playoffs haven’t been their best performances, Connor has been very productive in both, scoring a career-high 97 points last season with 17 more in 13 playoff games.
Ates then answered a question about what if Connor isn’t extended, and whether the team would trade him or risk letting him go to free agency, as they did with Ehlers. Ates notes that trading Connor early in the season is very unlikely to happen, and from owner Mark Chipman down to the players, everyone wants to keep Connor around.
I think the Jets would prefer to go down to the wire, offering Connor everything in their power, so that they can say — to themselves, to the media and to other players — that they did everything they could. That it was simply Connor’s choice in the end.
Murat Ates, The Athletic
Everything points to Connor signing an extension with the Jets. There have been no factors indicating otherwise, and the team and player have been successful together.