What's in a Number?

Paul LaDue and Adrian Kempe are enjoying their first tastes of NHL action for the LA Kings. The pair have been assigned jersey numbers 38 and 39, respectively.
It would come as no surprise should either of them change numbers following the 2016-17 season.

Ladue wore #6 with both the University of North Dakota and the Lincoln Stars of the USHL, and #2 with the Alexandria Blizzard in the NAHL.
On the other hand, Adrian Kempe has worn more numbers than he has team jerseys. In Ontario, he only wore #9, but for
MODO
he wore #36 and #51. The multiple number trend continues when he suits up for his home country as he's worn both #17 and #29 for Team Sweden.

If either of the pair does switch numbers, they'll be following in the footsteps of many Kings prospects that came before.
Seemingly, only players assigned numbers that start with a "7" DON'T change their numbers later. Tanner Pearson (#70), Jordan Nolan (#71), Tyler Toffoli (#73), and the recently traded Dwight King (#74) all maintained their original numbers with the Kings. But perhaps that has to do with the Stanley Cups won in those jerseys.
Here's a look at the current Kings that have switched numbers.
Derek Forbort
Rookie Derek Forbort has spent most of this season paired with Drew Doughty, and has acquitted himself well, but this ISN'T the first season he's played in the NHL. During the 2015-16 season, Forbort appeared wearing #7.

Nic Dowd
During multiple stints in his career, Dowd played with a different number before inevitably returning to #26. Dowd wore his familiar number during the four years he spent at Saint Cloud State University, 43 games with the Wenatachee Wild of the NAHL, and most of his time with the Ontario Reign. In LA however, he wore #67 in five games he appeared in during the 2015-16 season.

Nicholas Shore
Nick Shore wore #23 for the US National Development Team and the University of Denver Pioneers. With Dustin Brown in LA and Brian O'Neill wearing the number in Manchester, Shore wound up wearing #37 in the AHL and NHL before settling on #21.

Trevor Lewis
Everybody loves Trevor Lewis and he's such a perfect #22.
Watch: Youtube Video
The Salt Lake City native didn't always wear #22 however. Lewis wore #11 for both the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL and the Manchester Monarchs in the AHL. With the OHL's Owen Sound, he wore #27. When he finally cracked the Kings lineup, he spent 11 games wearing #61 over two seasons from 2008-2010.
Alec Martinez
Alec Martinez spent three seasons wearing #21 at the University of Miami (Ohio). Before that, he wore #5 for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL.
After signing an ELC following his junior year at Miami, Martinez spent 147 games with the Manchester Monarchs while trying to crack the Kings lineup on a permanent basis.
He wore his college number for 72 games in 2008-09 and switched to #53 for the remaining 75 games from 2009-11. He kept #53 while playing for the Kings during the same stretch. He later switched to #27 for the start of the 2011-12 season.