Kevin Fiala was sidelined last season due to a lower leg injury he suffered from the 2026 Winter Olympics. This season, Fiala is expected to make a full recovery and will be a valuable goalscorer for the Kings.
Even with Fiala missing 26 games, he recorded 18 goals, which was the fourth most goals on the team. The only players with more goals were Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere. All of them played at least 79 games.
From the 18 goals in the 56 games that Fiala played, it results in approximately 0.32 goals per game. This is higher than Quinton Byfield’s 0.30 goals per game and Alex Laferriere’s 0.25 goals per game.
In the previous two seasons, Fiala scored at least 29 goals and ranked in the top two for the Kings. Along with the individual performance, the Kings as a team benefited when Fiala was scoring more goals.
Last season, the Kings struggled without Fiala’s production as Los Angeles had a bottom five offense in the league. In comparison, the Kings recorded above 3.03 goals per game in both seasons where Fiala had 29 or more goals.
Fiala’s impact went even further when he first arrived in Los Angeles back in 2023. The prior season, the Kings recorded 2.84 goals per game. After Fiala arrived, Los Angeles leaped to 3.34 goals per game.
When Fiala suits up for the Kings, he contributes to the offense scoring at a higher rate. Fiala’s impact is greatly beneficial from being the main option on the second line.
Next season, Fiala is projected to share minutes with newly signed Mats Zuccarello and Erik Haula. Although both players will be new to the Kings, neither player is expected to bring in the scoring like Fiala does.
Zuccarello is known for his playmaking as he has recorded at least 35 assists in the past four seasons. Haula is regarded for his two-way ability with a lot of speed that handles more defensive responsibilities.
Neither player has recorded a 20-goal season in the past three years, which puts more pressure on Fiala. This further indicates that Fiala’s scoring has the greatest impact on any line for the Kings.
While the first line should have plenty of points from Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe, Fiala determines the second line's production. It’s essential that Fiala uplifts the second line, which will support the first line.
The Kings need Fiala to be one of the best goalscorers on their team as the offense heavily depends on it. Whether the Kings have a capable offense comes down to how many goals Fiala scores next season.
