Kings' Fiala Shines, But Inconsistencies Raise Concerns

While the Kings have some offensive weapons, but they primarily have defensive schema. Adrian Kempe, a former 40-goal scorer, is on track to hit 30 goals for the third time in his career. He is a critical player for the Kings, but relying on just one game-breaker is risky, as evidenced by the team's poor performance over the past ten-plus games.

Successful teams need multiple players with game-breaking abilities, so Rob Blake acquired Kevin Fiala from the Minnesota Wild before the 2022-23 season. In return, the Kings gave up a haul: top prospect Brock Faber and a first-round pick, aiming to gain significant value from Fiala. So far, he has delivered pointwise, recording 176 points and 70 goals in 206 games with the Kings.

However, Fiala has faced challenges during his time in Los Angeles, including being benched and dealing with fan frustrations stemming from a decade of postseason failures. Also baked into the cake is his inability to play long-term with the King's top players. He has struggled to find a consistent center to help him exploit favorable matchups, particularly since his style is more East-West, while the team's approach is largely North-South.

Still, Fiala has shown some undeniable game-breaking skill, as demonstrated by his two goals against Carolina that helped end the Kings' recent losing streak. Unfortunately, these moments are not frequent enough to convince anyone that he is a consistent asset on a team that doesn't have the proper schema to fully utilize his talents, which is more than just troubling for someone the Kings pay nearly eight million dollars a year.

Fiala has essentially become known as an almost highlight-reel player. While his two goals were impressive, he often attempts similar high-risk moves in other games—usually without success—which can lead to turnovers that send the opposition going the other way. Although he has his standout moments, the coaching staff, particularly Jim Hiller, must have to bite his tongue with his occasional turnover cookies and frustration penalties.

This situation is compounded by the no-movement clause in his contract, which gives Fiala control over any potential trade—a trade seems entirely unlikely at this point. He currently has 18 goals in 49 games and could achieve his first 30-goal season with the Kings despite posting his worst plus/minus rating as a King at -10, the lowest on the roster.

The Kings will take whatever production Fiala can provide, and there's hope that his recent performance could boost his confidence moving forward. However, doubts linger regarding his ability to maintain game-breaking performances consistently. Given his high salary, can he serve as a top-line player for the Kings? I have my doubts. Furthermore, can he effectively play alongside Quinton Byfield to exploit matchups? Statistics suggest otherwise—together, they have been outscored 6-3 at even strength and have a 5-1 disadvantage in high-danger goals (via NST).

While it's encouraging to see Fiala break through against a strong Carolina Hurricanes team, it also underscores his tendency to be more individualistic rather than contributing to overall team success. He stands out as an anomaly on a team that prioritizes tight structure and collective performance. He can impress during a game or two in a ten-game stretch, but he lacks the consistency to maintain that level of play like the league's megastars.