Kings Too Early Third Line Preview

Moving down the lineup, we're doing a too-early preview of the Los Angeles Kings' third line.

We've already covered the first and second lines as outlined by Rob Blake in an article for LAKingsInsider.

I imagine this will be where people are most upset by where a line is listed on paper, so I'll reiterate, it's just on paper and having this line as a "third line" means very little.

They just have to be written down in order and this group of three fell in third. That doesn't mean they'll truly function as a third line come opening night.

Of all of the Kings' new lines, this one garners the most optimism, mainly because of the Kevin Fiala-Quinton Byfield duo. 

Those two have the potential to be deadly together. Byfield could be an ideal partner for Fiala. We know Fiala thrives when playing with hard-working players who can get him the puck consistently.

Byfield can do that and has the skill to keep up with Fiala. Byfield was LA's best play driver last season and their most creative passer and Fiala finished second on the team in points.

There's an argument that this is the Kings' two best forwards on a line together and they should play off each other well. Byfield's north-south game should complement Fiala's east-west style, giving this line multiple looks the opposition has to try and deal with.

The success of this line will be dependent on Byfield's move back to center, if he makes the transition, they'll blow the doors off teams, especially if they're getting favorable matchups as the "third line."

Then there's Warren Foegele, who might be the best "extra" forward in the top nine. He'll be able to do a lot of the dirty work in the corners and along the boards for Byfield and Fiala, creating a lot of space for those two to operate in.

He also showed last season he can finish chances with 20 goals for the Edmonton Oilers. He's a perfect complementary forward for two skilled players like Byfield and Fiala.

This should also be a solid line defensively, highlighted by Byfield in the middle. Fiala led the team in defensive impact according to Evolving-Hockey, but I think that's where we have to remember the difference between defensive impact and defensive ability.

Still, Fiala was much better defensively last season and his puck-dominant playstyle keeps the puck away from LA's net. If they click, this line will be a handful for anyone to deal with.

There's also the possibility this line finally gives Fiala a permanent home. In each of the last two offseasons Fiala has mentioned not having a consistent line as being a problem for him and this could solve that issue for him.

At the very least, it could give him a consistent center to play with instead of jumping around the middle six all season.

I think there are a few ways this line fails next season. Firstly, if Byfield can't make the transition back to center this line will quickly fall apart. 

That is the least likely outcome, but not impossible.

Secondly, Fiala has struggled to succeed with other play drivers in the past, so it's possible he and Byfield don't find immediate chemistry. One of them will have to take a backseat in play driving. 

I could see that being Byfield, who can use his size, speed and puck retrieval to create a lot of space for Fiala to operate and cash in with a lot of net-front goals.

There's also the possibility that Foegele's 20 goals last season as a flash in the pan and he goes back to being a sub-15 goal scorer and can't keep up with Fiala and Byfield's skill.

Lastly, there should be some concern about the lack of natural finisher on this line. Fiala is the only player who's scored more than 20 goals in a single season, but he's certainly more creator than shooter.

This could be a line that creates a ton of chances but finishes very few. As mentioned, Byfield could take the next step in his goal-scoring by cashing in on Fiala's chance creation in front, and Foegele might repeat last season's 20-goal season, but they might not.

There's room for plenty of goals out of these three, but as I said, there is no natural finisher which could cause problems.

This is the best line on paper of the Kings' top nine for me. It's arguably the most skilled and has the best combination of players. There are some reasons for pessimism, but I think all of them will be answered quickly and there's just so much optimism for these three.