2023 Exit Interviews – Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, Viktor Arvidsson, Alex Iafallo

The exit interviews roll on, Insiders.

Today we take a look at four of the team’s top offensive players, who spoke with the media following a difficult conclusion to the season. All four players were impactful along the way, including during productive postseasons. Adrian Kempe proved that his 35-goal breakout was no fluke, as he upped the ante to 40 goals. Kevin Fiala came in and was over a point per game, with only a late-season knee injury preventing him from leading the team in scoring. Viktor Arvidsson and Alex Iafallo both had very good playoffs, with both players overcoming injury to contribute over the 82 games as well.

Adrian Kempe

Hitting Expectations, Setting New Ones
Adrian Kempe broke out with 35 goals last season. He then signed a four-year contract extension to merit that breakout. He followed up that season, and that extension, with 40 goals this season. He then collected a point in all six playoff games, the only Kings player to do so.

Safe to say that any potential lingering questions about Kempe’s ability to follow up on last season have been answered. No more questions about empty-net goals. No more questions about a one-year wonder. No more questions about long-term fit. Kempe has arrived and he’s an elite player for the LA Kings. He’s locked in for three more years at a rate that feels like a discount after his 2022-23 campaign and he was happy to meet the expectations he created for himself through his play.

“I’m just trying to get better every day when I’m out there,” he said. “Since my breakout season last year, there were a lot of expectations coming into this year, just proving to myself that I could do it again this year. I just wanted to try to go out there and win every game, obviously, we couldn’t quite do that in the playoffs, so that’s frustrating, but overall, I had a pretty solid year.”

His centerman, as detailed HERE yesterday, was highly complementary of the growth he’s seen in his game.

Kempe and Kopitar have become an established duo for the LA Kings on the top line. After they started to gel together last season, the connection took off this season, with both players improving upon solid offensive campaigns from a season ago. Kopitar is a bona fide 1C and now Kempe is a bona fide RW1. Kempe was equally complimentary of Kopitar as Kopitar was of him, which shows that both players make the other better, it’s not just a one-way street.

“That’s nice to hear from one of the better players in the league,” Kempe said. “He makes me a really good player out there and he’s helped me along the way, so I think that’s a good thing too. I wanted to play better in the playoffs this year than I felt like I did last year. I felt like last year, I had 1 or 2 games where I was really good then the other games weren’t really on the level I wanted to be. This year, I tried to be as competitive as I could in every game and felt like I played pretty well in the games. Not good enough, but it’s nice to hear it from a player like that.”

Going into the offseason, there are still lingering questions about who the ideal third member of that line is, whether it’s Quinton Byfield, Viktor Arvidsson, Alex Iafallo, someone else internally or perhaps an external acquisition. There’s no lingering question about who the top-line right winger is, though. That’s Kempe for the foreseeable future.

Ending Too Early
No one is happy with a first-round exit and Kempe is no exception.

He believes that the Kings were a better team than a season ago and he believes that the Kings were closer and more competitive against the Edmonton Oilers than a season ago. That doesn’t make the defeat any easier though……probably makes it a bit harder, actually.

“Frustrated, it’s not the end we wanted,” he said of the series. “On the other side of it, we were a better team this year than we were last year. Last year we took them to Game 7, not this year, but I felt like we still were a better team, I think we played better overall in the series, there were some really tight games. I think the two home games we lost here were the two games we probably should have won. Right now, it’s still frustrating that we didn’t make it through. Got to come back stronger and better next year.”

In Kempe’s eyes, there were multiple points in the series when he believes the Kings could have seized control. There’s obviously Game 4, when the Kings held a three-goal lead and there’s Game 6, when the Kings outshot Edmonton heavily. Those are the moments the Kings really didn’t have a season ago. Last year, Game 6 was an opportunity for the Kings to win the series, leading three games to two and being tied 2-2 on home ice in what could have been a decisive game. But, it was still different.

This season, there were tons of opportunities for the Kings to take a commanding lead that would have, at the very least, sent the series to Edmonton for Game 7. Just didn’t happen.

“The first one, Game 4 I think it was, we were up 3-0 and I think that’s the game where we’ve got to close, I feel like. Obviously some bounces here and there but I felt like we were confident enough to win those games and it comes down to the really small details, [Game 6] too. I think we were in the third period, we were pushing, pushing coming back, but all it takes is one shot and then you’re down a goal again. We gave up five goals in both games, so that’s probably why we didn’t win, but I think overall, we played good enough and aggressive enough to win both games.”

Becoming A Leader
Lastly, it’s important to talk about Kempe’s growth as a leader on this team.

Kempe was once the quiet, back-of-the-room youngster, but as the veterans have cleared out, with pieces coming in and out around him, Kempe is all of a sudden the third-longest tenured member of the organization, behind only Kopitar and defenseman Drew Doughty. As such, Kempe has developed and grown as a leader within the room, with teammates throughout the season commenting on that growth.

Kempe touched on it as well during his end-of-season interview –

“I think it’s a good thing, I’m getting older, so I have more experience and I’m not the youngest guy on the team anymore, so I think with that I have to take that kind of next step in my leadership role too. Kopi and Dewy and these guys, they’re not going to be around forever, so someone has to try and step up and fill those shoes, which is pretty hard because of everything they’ve done for this organization. I’m trying to still learn from them, slowly, and in the locker room and on the ice, just try to become more of a leader and take the pressure off of them when I’m out there.”

Kevin Fiala

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A pretty solid first season for Kevin Fiala, who chose to make Los Angeles his long-term home this past offseason.

There were two sides to what the Swiss native learned throughout the course of his first season in Southern California. He learned about his team and this city on the ice and off the ice.

On The Ice – It’s a good question. A lot, but the most is there’s no panic, even now. We went down 3-2 and I’ve been on teams before that thought it was over, but I don’t think we did. We really thought we were going to win last night, we’ve felt that in the room the last few days, there was happiness, there was nobody doubting us in the room. We never give up and we always have positive mindsets. I think it’s a great, great mix of a team and we can make it happen.

Off The Ice – It was pretty easy, the guys are awesome here, they helped me from the get-go, it’s a great organization, obviously. It was very easy to fit in here, off the ice. It’s sunny all the time, we bought a house also in the middle of the season, so everything felt like home quickly. I’ve been in Nashville and Minnesota longer than here, but I feel like I’ve been here the longest. It’s weird, but it’s a good sign.

Fiala and the Kings entered into a long-term relationship, sight unseen. There was naturally a large body of work that Fiala brought with him from Nashville and Minnesota, but a long-term contract was signed before Fiala played a single minute with the Kings organization. In his first season, he scored at over a point-per-game pace and was on track to lead the team in scoring before he missed all but one of the team’s final eight games of the regular season. Though the same injury forced him out of the lineup for Games 1, 2 and 3 of the postseason as well, Fiala returned for Game 4 and collected six points (1-5-6) over the final three games. He felt he produced in both settings, shedding a perception from Minnesota of a player who produced in the regular season but not the playoffs. A strong season, with a strong finish, in year one.

Line ‘Em Up
One interesting part of Fiala’s season was his usage.

Coming into training camp, the Kings planned to play Fiala alongside Kopitar and Kempe on the first line. An obvious landing spot, when you add an 85-point player, is the first line. There were flashes of production and spurts of good performance, but the fit was not perfect for the players or the team.

The Kings were at their best this season when Fiala played separately from Kopitar and Kempe. All three players produced and performed better separately as well. From a pure ability standpoint, that would be this team’s top forward line. From a wider angle of seeing the team perform at its best, the Kings functioned better with Fiala driving his own line. Though moving players around led to success this season, Fiala did note it would be nice to find more permanent linemates moving forward, whoever those players might be.

“Of course you want to build some chemistry and stick with one line,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be one line, you can move around a little bit, but it was fine this year. Next year, we’ll see what happens, but it would be nice to have your line, and build chemistry and know your line.”

There’s a lot of time to determine the best way to begin next season.

The Kings had a pretty good plan of how they wanted to approach this series if fully healthy but opted to change things up for Game 6, which saw each forward line shuffled. Fiala played more than 100 minutes at 5-on-5 with eight different players throughout the course of the regular season. How will he be deployed moving forward? Time will tell, though he was complimentary of his season-ending trio with Gabe Vilardi and Quinton Byfield.

“It’s so early to say. We just went out, so you’ve got to probably ask me stuff like that before the next season. I had some good chemistry, I played with Gabe a lot this season, it felt like. Q has also done a great job in this position.

One of Fiala’s most effective combinations came with Vilardi.

As regular-season linemates, the duo was on the ice together for an average of 3.78 goals for per/60, compared to just 1.62 goals against per/60, Fiala’s best rate with any linemate. Fiala saw a ton of growth in Vilardi’s game and felt the connected well when played together.

“He had a great year, first of all. I came in here and just looking back to camp, he was fighting for a spot and just came in, scored all the time and just got better and better as the season went on. He had some tough injuries as well, but he always came back. Like I said before, he can score goals and you can see the great vision, he’s a great passer in my opinion. Just great, all-around player.”

Health
Lastly, this would be incomplete without at least another mention of Fiala’s health.

While he had six points from three games, as noted on Sunday, Fiala was operating at less than 100 percent throughout the course of the series. Playing through a knee injury, Fiala was still a primetime performer.

“It was something in the knee, I don’t want to get into details. When I came back, I wasn’t 100 percent, but it is what it is.”

His injury was, regrettably, not his first during the postseason.

As a part of the Nashville Predators during their run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2018, Fiala broke his leg in that series and was around the team off the ice, but regrettably not on it. He is hopeful to be a part of a run like that next season, but in full health, with the Kings.

“Every year you’re trying to win a Stanley Cup, that’s why you play, so obviously that’s what you want,” he said. “It was very fun in Nashville, even when I broke my leg I was with the guys, it was a great feeling. We didn’t win, obviously, but if you ask those guys here that won, it’s the best feeling ever. I really want to do that.”

He’s hopeful to find the best of both worlds next season in LA – a deep playoff run with full participation.

Viktor Arvidsson & Alex Iafallo

Viktor Arvidsson
Being 100 Percent
Simply being healthy meant a lot to Viktor Arvidsson.

The ending to last season was a struggle. The summer was worse. Arvidsson missed the entirety of the playoffs last year with a back injury that required off-season surgery. Though he was in the lineup for opening night, he was not back at full strength and it took him some time to get back up to speed. That’s what happens when you can’t have a full summer of preparation.

Arvidsson did hit that top gear as the season progressed, however, finishing the season with 24 points over his final 24 games played between the regular season and playoffs. A strong finish, which he was happy to be a part of.

“It was hard last year, going through the summer after missing the playoffs, I didn’t have any expectations going into this year, really, I was just trying to be healthy the whole year. I managed to do that, so I’m really happy. [I’m excited] going into this summer and getting a full summer of training and coming back in full next year.”

Arvidsson was perhaps at his offensive best during a playoff series that saw him one point off the team lead in scoring, as he led the way with six assists. Arvidsson came in with a label as an off-the-rush scorer but has proven to be a lot more than that here with the Kings. He has the ability to score off the rush, sure, but his passing and playmaking abilities have stood out in an impactful way over the last two seasons. He has proven capable of producing offensively both in the zone and off the rush, as well as on the power play, and believed he was at that top gear throughout the series.

“I think I had a lot of energy in this playoff series, I think I got back to that more gritty game and where I can play tougher and be more energetic. It’s fun to play that way and I think I’ve been just trying to stay healthy, trying to get to the playoff was huge for me. To get to play playoff hockey again was pretty big for me. Hopefully I can just build off that.”

Arvidsson has a versatile set of skills that, in theory, should make him a match for several roles moving forward. Where that role turns out to be, come October, will sort itself out in due time.

What Does The Future Hold?
Arvidsson is entering what will be his third season with the Kings organization after Rob Blake acquired him for a pair of draft picks during the summer of 2021. Arvidsson requested a trade from the Predators at that time and when he joined the Kings, he had three seasons remaining on a bargain of a contract when he’s at his best.

He’s been at his best in Los Angeles over the last two seasons and is now 14 months out from unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024.

What does the future hold for Arvidsson? Unclear at this time, but he’s not in the business of closing any of the doors around him.

“I haven’t focused on that. I was just trying to stay healthy and get my game back and I thought I did that. I’m just going to keep working on it and see what happens. I’m not closing any doors or anything, I’m just trying to get better and keep moving forward.”

He’s proven to be a great fit with the Kings, on and off the ice, but also may have just one longer-term contract in his NHL career. As it will with many others, it’s a situation that will resolve itself in due time.

Alex Iafallo
Playoff Impact & Versatility
In the immediate aftermath of Game 6, Todd McLellan highlighted two players as being standout performers throughout the course of the series. One was Kempe, discussed above, and the other was Alex Iafallo.

“I just tried to give it my all, I guess. I didn’t listen to the post-game stuff, but I just tried to give it my all out there, really.”

Iafallo is the team’s Swiss army knife, the jack-of-all-trades, the man of versatility. Over the course of 88 games, Iafallo played all throughout the top three lines, on both wings and on both special-teams units. It’s an asset that has lent itself well to Todd McLellan and it’s a skillet that makes him a player that teammates like playing with. Should any role open up, Iafallo would be among the first names thought of to fill it, regardless of what it is. He embraces that part of his game and it’s part of what makes him so valuable to this group.

“You’ve got to be open to different scenarios, just try to fit into whatever line I was playing with,” he said. “A lot of the guys on his team are really good players in here, so it’s easy to go in and talk about how each line is playing and go from there. I just try to adjust.”

The beauty of Iafallo is that you can almost slot him last into a projected lineup, in just about any role, because of that versatility.

As the Kings look to potentially re-shape their team moving forward, they can be confident that Iafallo could play just about wherever he’s needed and contribute, a skill that not every player possesses.

Round 1 Differences
Iafallo made a difference in this season’s series against Edmonton, as he did a season ago.

It’s his reliability, his trusting play and his consistency that allows him to elevate his game at this time of the year, as his teammates and head coach have said before.

Iafallo is also a part of the leadership group here with the Kings, typically wearing a letter when one of the three regular captains is out of the lineup. He wore an “A” for an extended stretch during the 2021-22 season with extended absences for both Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown. It’s his leadership that makes his voice an important one when discussing the series as a whole and what he believed to be the ultimate differences in how it played out, season over season.

“It was a good series, it went back and forth. It’s not the way we wanted it, at all, but I feel like we did do some good things, and we’ve got some things to work on. I just feel like we’ve got to keep pushing and keep being resilient in that way.”

As a versatile player, Iafallo was a part of both special teams units. One performed excellently. One underachieved.

He certainly understood that the penalty kill was a part of the team’s shortcomings during this series and could have helped to make a difference in the outcome when all was said and done.

“I think we’ve got to be a little more aggressive, myself included, just try to attack pucks more. We’ve been talking about it, it’s hard when you’re in the game and you’ve got to try to fix it immediately. Try to be more aggressive and try to have different options too, I guess, against different teams. In playoffs in general, we’ve got to try to adjust quicker.”

Lots of smaller details went into the series and what was the ultimate decider, with the penalty kill being one of the larger ones. Still, good to have different perspectives on the situation as a whole.

Lots more to follow! Tomorrow, we’ll look at more guys from the next wave, including a pair of defensemen and a pair of forwards.