The Los Angeles Kings signed free agent forward, Kevin Fiala, to a seven-year contract worth $55.125 million, or $7.875 million per season. This contract carries him through the 2028-29 season. This is after his negotiating rights were traded to the Kings from the Minnesota Wild. Los Angeles sends the 19th overall pick and the rights to defenceman Brock Faber in return. This Kevin Fiala trade is a blockbuster.
The @LAKings have acquired @KevinFiala22 from the @mnwild! 👀
Full Details: https://t.co/JptW2Rh8v3 pic.twitter.com/3pVkjiVYEz
— NHL (@NHL) June 29, 2022
Kings Get Kevin Fiala in Trade
Over his eight-year NHL career, Fiala has played for the Nashville Predators and the Minnesota Wild. He has put up 124 goals and 159 assists for 283 career points in 419 career games. He was originally drafted in the first round, 11th overall of the 2014 NHL draft by the Predators. At the trade deadline during the 2018-2019 season, Fiala was traded by Nashville in a package for Mikael Granlund. Fiala has made it to the playoffs every single year he has been in the NHL between these two teams, except the year he was traded. He is coming off a one-year, roughly five million dollar contract with the Wild.
What He Brings to the Table
The 25-year-old forward has a good skill set and is an excellent skater. At five-foot-ten-inches, Fiala does not play the most physical game, so he has to use his speed to create opportunities. He can accelerate quickly to avoid getting hit and pinned along the boards. However, he nearly double his hits this past season. He also mastered his stick-handling and puck movement. He is able to move the puck down the ice to create chances in the offensive zone. As well as creating chances for his teammates, he has also started creating more chances for himself. He averaged three shots on goal this past season.
Fiala is coming off a career year offensively, but that’s not the only area he has improved in. He has also upped his defensive play. This makes him an asset on both ends of the ice. Additionally, his mental maturity has completely changed over the years. Now that he is a well-rounded two-way player, he is going to be a valuable piece to his team.
The Kings have acquired Kevin Fiala from the Wild in exchange for the 19th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and University of Minnesota captain Brock Faber. https://t.co/3XYBdv1aRt
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 29, 2022
