The Los Angeles Kings are running out of healthy forwards at a critical point in the season. Kevin Fiala is done until next season, Andrei Kuzmenko will miss the remainder of the regular season, and Joel Armia is expected to be sidelined for another three to four weeks.
The Los Angeles Kings are dealing with a wave of injuries in their forward group at a critical point of the season. Kevin Fiala will miss the remainder of the year, Andrei Kuzmenko is done for the regular season following knee surgery, and Joel Armia is expected to be sidelined for another three to four weeks, according to Kings general manager Ken Holland.
Quinton Byfield will also be listed as questionable for tomorrow's game against the Montreal Canadiens after missing the last two games.
There was some optimism that if the Kings make the playoffs, Fiala would be back in time to suit up for the postseason. But now it's confirmed that Fiala won't return until before training camp for the 2026-27 campaign. It's definitely a blow to the season for the Kings, losing one of their top forwards this season, especially while fighting for a playoff spot.
It's the right move for the Kings to let Fiala rehab and not rush him back from injury because you don't want to make it worse and cause an even more catastrophic injury that could affect his career long term.
This is the first time that Fiala has suffered this type of significant injury in his career, as in the last two seasons, he's played 81 and 82 games, respectively. The 29-year-old was having a good start in the 56 games he played, finishing the year with 18 goals, 22 assists, and 40 points.
The good news about the Kings' injury report is that Armia will be back in a few weeks, and Kuzmenko will be available to return for the playoffs if the Kings can get there.
Kuzmenko and Armia were also having solid seasons, Armia with 10 goals, 10 assists, and 20 points, while Kuzmenko finished the regular season with 13 goals, 12 assists, and 25 points.
The one positive for the Kings losing Fiala, Armia, and Kuzmenko is that they still have enough depth on offense to carry them into the playoffs, especially with the pickup of Artemi Panarin, and still have Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, Alex Laferriere available to them, but it won't be a slouch for them down the stretch.
In the short term, for the Kings, they have to go several weeks relying on the rest of their forwards to fill the offensive gap and on their depth more heavily during the stretch run. With a playoff spot on the line, this should give the Kings momentum heading into the postseason.
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