This guy has tons of speed and talent, but such a low hockey IQ at times. Constantly in and out of the doghouse and i just don't think he's capable of fixing his bad habits. It's no wonder the Wild passed on re-signing him. I know his stock may be a bit low, but we can get two forwards pieces perhaps? Or 1F 1D? Thoughts?
Is it time to look into shopping Kevin Fiala?
- Thread starter Dorian20
- Start date
MiketheKing
Super Star
I would. 1 dimesional forward with sh*t for brains. If scoring was the only metric, he'd be ok.
cool! So what do you think he's worth?
I agree with not trading offense away, but i feel like we're lacking chemistry. If Laff cools off, he kinda has the last few games, who's gonna score goals? Edmunson? haha
the answer as always is "whatever someone will trade for him".
I'm not saying Blake shouldn't always be looking to make the team better. But one of the considerations should be if this team needs time. Blake gets to balance that. Sometimes the thing to look at also is not if Fiala is going to get his head right with his teammates, but the reverse of if his teammates can get Fiala to success. I don't think Fiala is anywhere near a change of scenery type player, so if he was going to be moved the only thing that makes sense would be a hockey trade. Those are hard to guess ahead of time.
My bet is that Blake wants to give this roster time, and Hiller time, especially since evaluating anything when you're missing your number 1 defenseman reeks of panic.
JETS GARAGE
Triple Crown Line
Kevin's last year with the Wild, he had 85 pts and was a +23. Performing to get traded for a better contract?
Nearly a point a game player last season with 29 goals. Needs motivation?
Nearly a point a game player last season with 29 goals. Needs motivation?
| 2021-22 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 82 | 33 | 52 | 85 | 52 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| 2022-23 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 69 | 23 | 49 | 72 | 52 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 82 | 29 | 44 | 73 | 62 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 17 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 14 | -7 |
Don't get me wrong, he puts up points, but to who's benefit except his own? Sure, the team is a top 3 divisional team when playing well, but at the end of the day, how much is he helping in the playoffs? Is he a needle-mover? maybe game per game, but not overall.
Insightful answer, but these guys couldn't even get PLD going, although that's a whooooole other topic lol. I just feel like his sh*tty habits hurt this team way more than his production helps them. He'll get benched, come back and score a goal, then he'll go right back to the same ole Fiala. I'm not so sure RB has the time he thinks he has. He's been constructing a roster for the last 8 years and we've been going nowhere but sideways. I lost confidence in Blake when he traded PLD. We gave up Iafalo and Vilardi for a player who has issues clearly. His assessment of his players and his judgement stinks. Oh and QB......whenever you're ready to show up, we need ya!
I'm just trying to paint a picture of what Blake is likely to be considering. Whether or not Fiala is a sunk cost fallacy, trading to help him might be something that Blake can accomplish on a timeline afforded to him vs trading Fiala for something (besides addition by subtraction) that helps the team. Trades always require a partner. Otherwise Blake does like a cat with a box, if he fits, he sits.
Clif
Super Star
Edmundson career year coming baby!
Laf WILL cool down, but if Danault and Byfield don’t heat up then everything else pales in comparison. No reason to think they won’t, however.
Very recent, but Moore and Kempe need to keep it up.
Also Newell Brown needs to be replaced by Chat GPT. Anything is an upgrade on the PP.
No offense but that is a very silly argument - only he benefits from the points he puts up? Reality is, Fiala is a world-class offensive players with some glaring weaknesses elsewhere in his game. He, and Kempe, are the only true offensive talents this team has at the moment. The idea of trading either of them, who fill a vital area of need, is silly unless the Kings receive an offer that is too good to be true.
Additionally, he is on an exceedingly team friendly contract likely due to the glaring weaknesses we are aware of. A consistent point per game player for under $8m in today's market, though, is a steal even with his weaknesses.
Rogie-Vachon
Sizzler Across The Street
It's time for the Kings management to implement a vasectomy policy on all players.
Fiala works very, very hard on a skill set that produces stats but not wins.
He is incapable of playing with skilled players because he cannot read plays off of the puck. He can only produce when deferred to and he controls the play. You can see him drift into really poor areas of the ice when he doesn't have the puck, where the only outlet is an unnecessarily risky pass.
He is incapable of managing games and erring on the side of caution when the situation calls for discretion. No team is ever out of the game when Fiala is on the ice, they will always get high percentage chances due to his inability to play situational hockey.
He is incapable of managing his temper and makes terribly selfish rash decisions when he feels slighted. He is a known embellisher and has no leeway with refs.
A 55 point safe player does a hell of a lot more to help you win than an 80 point liability that insists on playing selfish hockey.
This is who he is, and he has already been publicly called out by teammates and benched on numerous occasions for his stupidity.
He is a liability, not an asset, and the best case scenario would be a trade. Unfortunately he has a NMC and isn't likely to be dealt without another public display of dissatisfaction from the team. You simply cannot hope to win with a player like this.
He is incapable of playing with skilled players because he cannot read plays off of the puck. He can only produce when deferred to and he controls the play. You can see him drift into really poor areas of the ice when he doesn't have the puck, where the only outlet is an unnecessarily risky pass.
He is incapable of managing games and erring on the side of caution when the situation calls for discretion. No team is ever out of the game when Fiala is on the ice, they will always get high percentage chances due to his inability to play situational hockey.
He is incapable of managing his temper and makes terribly selfish rash decisions when he feels slighted. He is a known embellisher and has no leeway with refs.
A 55 point safe player does a hell of a lot more to help you win than an 80 point liability that insists on playing selfish hockey.
This is who he is, and he has already been publicly called out by teammates and benched on numerous occasions for his stupidity.
He is a liability, not an asset, and the best case scenario would be a trade. Unfortunately he has a NMC and isn't likely to be dealt without another public display of dissatisfaction from the team. You simply cannot hope to win with a player like this.
I’ve been an “antiFi” almost since the day he was acquired. His loose play and boneheaded reads make me want to pull my hair out. Watching Faber excel in Minny just aggravates everything. So, yes, I think a team in need of scoring might be enticed (maybe Nashville will take him back)
At least Fiala scores once in a while and is great with the puck. Danault, on the other hand, has been useless this season. I have no idea what his contract status is, but if he were to be dealt away I would have no issue with that. Fiala needs someone to reign him in, and Danault is not capable of that.
VCRW
Classic player
Fiala is a liability, but the Kings can’t afford to deal him at a loss as they just did with Dubois. The far greater problem is the lack of consistent offense from Danault and Byfield. If those 2 guys start contributing on a regular basis, the Kings instantly become a better team. And even Kopi has had uncharacteristic problems making and receiving passes. Top 9 wingers are fine. The top 3 centers all need to elevate their games.
