Regular Season:
Playoffs:
Key Stat: Over the last two seasons Kempny is +43, good for 13th in the League. Plus-minus is a very broad stat, but that’s still a pretty good feat considering how mediocre, at best, the Capitals were defensively over those two seasons.
The Good: It was good to see Kempny hit the ice again after his brutal injury to end the 2018-2019 season. Kempny was maybe the most important piece when the Capitals won their Cup so seeing him back on the ice could only make you smile.
The Bad: Kempny just hasn’t been the same since suffering the leg injury that kept him out of the 2019 playoffs and the early part of last season. Even after a prolonged break, he seemed to be a step behind, which isn’t great considering that speed is one of his better assets. Add that to the fact that he just turned 30 and there’s a good chance the Kempny that helped the Caps win a Cup is a mere memory at this point. He certainly has his place in the lineup, but he’s probably not a top-pairing player anymore.
The Video:
The Charts:
The Discussion: Given the Caps’ depth at left-handed defense and young kids needing ice time, is Kempny the odd man out on the blueline? Of the current defensemen on the roster, who would you pair Kempny with next season? Finally, what would it take for you to give Kempny a 10 next season?
Other Kempny Season Reviews: Coming soon!
The Vote: Rate Kempny below on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season – if he had the best year you could have imagined him having, give him a 10; if he more or less played as you expected he would, give him a 5 or a 6; if he had the worst year you could have imagined him having, give him a 1.