Which Kings Player Will Have The Biggest Impact At The Olympics?

With the Winter Olympics underway on Wednesday in Milano-Cortina, the Los Angeles Kings will compete in the highly anticipated event. Five Kings are set to skate for their respective countries. 

Joel Armia, F (FIN

Drew Doughty, D (CAN)

Kevin Fiala, F (SUI)

Adrian Kempe, F (SWE)

Darcy Kuemper, G (CAN)  

With the addition of Artemi Panarin, Fiala now sits third behind Kempe and Panarin for most points recorded on the Kings. On the season, Fiala has 18 goals, 22 assists, and 40 points. In Switzerland, Fiala is the clear offensive weapon and best player on the team, with Nico Hischier the only other forward with more points than him this season. 

So, it will be a two-headed race between Fiala and Hischier leading that offense for Switzerland in the Olympics, but Fiala's size and versatility to lead the team's attack will possibly have him top among Kings players in points, especially if Switzerland advances in a tough group. 

Adrian Kempe is the Kings' leading scorer with 20 goals this season, and for Team Sweden, he's one of the top scorers, along with Filip Forsberg, who should be the other leading scorer for Sweden. 

Kempe's blend of speed, net presence,  and scoring first makes him Sweden's top goal threat. Even against tough defenses, Kempe has shown the ability to shift away from aggressive defenders and still score. 

Sweden is projected to win their respective group against Finland, Slovakia, and Italy, and Kempe could easily lead this Kings contingent in goals scored during the Olympic tournament if Sweden remains a solid medal contender. 

Team Canada is loaded with talent, arguably the best team in the Olympics, and should be the favorites to win gold.  Doughty shouldn't be asked to do much with that case; all the team will ask of him is to be the defensive captain and anchor in pivotal moments. 

Doughty has plenty of experience in that arena, including winning two Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014, and past tournaments have shown what kind of impact he brings beyond scoring. 

A Canadian team favored to easily win their group and a slight favorite to win the gold medal, Doughty's leadership and experience could make him one of the best defensemen in the Olympics. 

Darcy Kuemper will be playing alongside his teammate Doughty for Team Canada, adding another top player to an already talented team. But with all the talent on Canada's roster, the deciding factor will be Kuemper. 

Now, Kuemper has struggled in the second half of this season, especially after coming back from injury. In the last five games, he's given up 13 goals. And it's the first time since he was with the Washington Capitals that he has a losing record when he's under the crease for Los Angeles, posting a 14-11-9 record and a .900 save percentage. 

Kuemper may not start every game because of the two other goaltenders available for Canada, including Logan Thompson and Jordan Binnington, but Kuemper is clearly the best out of those two, respectively, and must be a difference maker in Canada's quest for gold.

Joel Armia is probably the only player who doesn't have as much pressure on him as some of the other Kings players because Finland is banged up with no Aleksander Barkov, so no one is expecting Finland to win their group against Sweden.

Despite Sweden also being banged up, and Finland still having firepower up front with Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, and Roope Hintz, it's still out of the question that they will win a gold medal.

But Armia's size, grit, and occasional scoring can help Finland spark a deep run with a still-deep roster. While he may not be at the level of Fiala or Kempe, his two-way presence makes him a solid piece to an already injured Finland team that is playing with house money. 

With Canada and Sweden both in the gold-medal conversation, and Switzerland the only team with a Los Angeles Kings player that could spring an upset, only these three teams, which Kings players are on, have a legitimate chance to come home with medals. 

Canada (Doughty, Kuemper): Enters as the clear-cut favorites to win the whole thing with a very deep roster that is likely to reach the final rounds and not get knocked off early until likely the gold medal round. 

Switzerland (Fiala): More of a Dark Horse because they have to play Canada early, with both teams being in group A, so if Fiala gets hot offensively, Switzerland could surprise at minimum, challenging for silver. 

Sweden (Kempe): Third favorite in many Olympic odds behind the Czech Republic and Canada because of the easier path being in Group B and playing likely against a banged-up Finland team, but Sweden still has the deeper roster for a chance to reach the gold medal round and lose to Canada.

Finland (Armia): A team that would've been a threat if Barkov wasn't banged up because they still have star power and are well-rounded very well, especially up front, and have a strong blue-line, but have a tough road ahead of them despite having a well-rounded roster. Finland will still definitely be a tough out. 

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