NHL.com has the fantasy hockey impact of the trade that sent valuable wing Kevin Fiala to the Los Angeles Kings from the Minnesota Wild. For more coverage, visit NHL.com/Fantasy and subscribe for free to the “NHL Fantasy on Ice” podcast.
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Wing Kevin Fiala was acquired by the Los Angeles Kings from the Minnesota Wild on June 29. Fiala could have a higher fantasy ceiling after the trade with a chance to play on the Kings’ top line with center Anze Kopitar and also boosts their Stanley Cup futures appeal for next season considering their core players won championships in 2012 and 2014.
Fiala, at 25 years old, finished around the top 50 overall fantasy players in standard leagues this season and remains a coveted player in keeper and dynasty leagues after signing a seven-year contract with the Kings. He goes from the Wild, where he played mostly on the second line with rookie standout Matt Boldy and center Frederick Gaudreau this season, to the Kings, where he’ll likely play on the top line and also first power play with Kopitar and valuable defenseman Drew Doughty.
Fiala had an NHL career high in points (85 in 82 games this season; tied for 22nd in League; second most in Wild history behind Kirill Kaprizov‘s 108) and shots on goal (262; T-16th) and ranked 10th in even-strength points (67). Fiala had an underwhelming start to the season but bounced back around the time Boldy was recalled from the American Hockey League on Jan. 4; Fiala was tied for 13th in points (65 in 52 games) from Jan. 1 to the end of the regular season.
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The addition of Fiala could positively impact Kopitar, who now has another talented wing to play on his line along with Adrian Kempe, who led Los Angeles with 35 goals and 247 SOG this season. Kopitar led the Kings in points (67 in 81 games) this season and helped them return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs but didn’t come close to his NHL career high (92 points in 2017-18). Kopitar rejoins the top 100 overall fantasy rankings, giving the Kings three players in that range (Fiala, Doughty, Kopitar).
Fiala is more likely to play with Kopitar and Kempe than on the second line, which emerged as an underrated fantasy trio this…
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