The biggest offseason acquisition the Kings made in 2022 was Kevin Fiala, who entered his first season with the organization carrying large expectations. He largely met them, as he proved to be the dynamic and impactful offensive player the Kings set out to acquire. A gamebreaker offensively, both as a scorer and a passer, Fiala provided a different dimension than what was here a season ago.
Kevin Fiala
LAK Statline – 69 games played, 23 goals, 49 assists, +2 rating, 52 penalty minutes
Playoff Statline – 3 games played, 1 goal, 5 assists, +! rating, 4 penalty minutes
Possession Metrics (Relative To Kings) – CF% – 52.5% (+1.1%), SCF% – 53.5% (+1.4%), HDCF% – 55.1% (+1.8%)
As will be noted below, Fiala played all around a Kings lineup this season that saw more movement and fluctuation then was there during the season prior. Fiala’s production did not waiver based on position, however, and he was an effective offensive player regardless of who he skated with. A strong first season for Fiala, who was just the third King since the original lockout to post a season at over a point-per-game pace.
Trending Up – As noted, Kevin Fiala was extremely productive this season and he was productive regardless of who he was playing with. Fiala led the Kings with 49 assists this season and likely would have led the team in total scoring had it not been for a late-season injury. At 5-on-5, Fiala’s 2.49 points per/60 was the best rate on the team, one of three skaters to exceed two in that category. Fiala spent this season in a variety of different roles, with a variety of different linemates. He skated more than 100 minutes at 5-on-5 with eight different linemates and was over two points per/60 with seven of the eight. Six of the seven totals would have led the team for the season. Year 1 with the Kings was certainly a productive one, with Fiala proving to be a productive player independent of linemates and role.
On a leaguewide level, Fiala was one of the NHL’s best playmakers at 5-on-5. Fiala’s 1.91 assists per/60 were tied for fifth in the league this season, while his 1.21 primary assists were also in the NHL’s Top 5. Only Fiala, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Toronto’s Mitch Marner ranked in the Top 5 in both categories. Fiala also ranked sixth in the NHL in primary assists per/60 on the power play, as he collected a point on more than 82 percent of his team’s goals when on the ice on the PP, posting the league’s sixth-best rate in that category. One of the league’s most productive playmakers and he plays in Los Angeles.
Fiala was also a player who increased the production of his linemates around him. 49 assists, it should be obvious that he made his teammates more productive, right? Sure, but seeing it so universally across the board was worth sharing. Of those eight regular linemates at 5-on-5, seven of the eight saw their on-ice goals for improve when playing with Fiala, compared to their overall season output. Fiala’s addition also made the power play more productive. Among regulars on the power play, Fiala led the Kings in primary assists per/60, while his points per/60 ranked third on the team. His rates set career highs in assists and primary assists while his points per/60 were at the second-best rate of his NHL career. The TLDR here? Fiala made those – and that – around him more productive throughout his first season with the Kings.
Trending Down – We’ll take a line from Blake Lizotte’s season in review here – penalties. Fiala took 26 minor penalties this season, the most amongst all Kings players, one clear of Lizotte. Fiala’s totals placed him in the NHL’s Top 15 in minor penalties taken. Many of those penalties were stick infractions and those penalties frequently came in the offensive zone or the neutral zone, away from a scoring opportunity the other way. Six came with the Kings on a power play, tied for the second most in the league. An area he’ll look to cut down on moving forward.
The paragraphs above paint Fiala’s ability to produce with anyone as a positive and it is a positive. It was also an embodiment of an overall picture in which Fiala did not establish a permanent home throughout the season. It took the Kings time to find the right combinations and Fiala was involved just about every time a change was made to the forward lines. The original plan of Fiala playing with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe was too porous defensively and the line did not work as intended. Fiala’s skill level is so high that he can produce in any situation, so finding a consistent home moving forward could make already strong numbers even loftier.
2023-24 Outlook– Similar to say Mikey Anderson, Fiala’s status with the Kings is among the most secure of any player on the roster. He’s got a long-term contract that he signed recently, he had an extremely productive season and he’s a younger player in the grand scheme of things who the Kings want to build around for the forseeable future. Where Anderson and Fiala differ is that we know exactly where in the lineup Anderson will play, but we really don’t know where Fiala will play.
He was utilized on each of the top three forward lines, to varying degrees of success and production. For the team’s most dynamic offensive player, finding the right fit moving forward is important. During his end of season exit interview, he indicated a desire to find “his line” moving forward. Is that another crack alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe? Is it next to Phililp Danault and Viktor Arvidsson? Is it with Gabe Vilardi on a line that deepens the forward group? Fiala has produced regardless of who he was paired with and will likely continue to do so moving forward. An interesting fit to look for come training camp in September.
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