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Kevin Fiala never produced for Wild in playoffs. He’s hoping to change that with Kings.

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·2 min read

Kevin Fiala entered Tuesday’s game against his former team with 21 goals and 40 points to his name.

He’s very proud of his production after signing a a 7-year, $55.125 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings last offseason.

In that same breath, though, the 26-year-old winger acknowledged that it’s no longer about what he does in the regular season.

“We’re getting excited for the playoffs,” Fiala said before his Los Angeles Kings took on the Wild at Xcel Energy Center. “Then it starts.”

Indeed. That’s the next step for Fiala. As impressive as he was during his time with the Wild, he always seemed to disappear in the playoffs. He finished with four goals and five assists in 17 playoff games with the Wild.

“That’s what I want to improve,” Fiala said. “Especially after last season.”

After starring for the Wild last season with 33 goals and 52 assists, Fiala failed to score a goal in the first-round series against the St. Louis Blues.

That was the final straw that pushed general manager Bill Guerin to trade Fiala last offseason. Ultimately, the Wild flipped Fiala to the Kings in exchange for University of Minnesota defenseman Brock Faber, as well as a first-round pick in the 2022 draft.

Though the Wild have struggled to replace Fiala’s production this season, it’s important to understand the full scope of the situation. If the Wild decided to commit to Fiala last offseason, they would’ve had to sacrifice a good chunk of their current roster to be able to afford him. Who knows what kind of depth issues that would’ve created?

In the end, the Wild got what they felt was fair compensation, and the Kings got a budding star that immediately ingratiated himself to the fan base.

As for Fiala, he’s loving his new life on the West Coast and couldn’t be happier with how things worked out

“I actually talked to my wife yesterday before coming here,” Fiala said. “It feels like we’ve been (in Los Angeles) longer.”

It helped that Fiala felt an instant connection with his new teammates.

“That helped me be myself right away,” Fiala said. “It’s really like a family there on the ice.”

It was a similar feeling when Fiala was with the Wild, and because of that, he still finds himself checking the box scores from time to time to see how his former team is doing.

“I’m still in contact with a lot of guys,” Fiala said. “It’s fun to be here again.”

Perhaps he will see the Wild down the road in the playoffs. In the meantime, though, Fiala is simply hoping to continue to produce at a high level.

“I’m very proud of my personal season,” Fiala said. “Looking to keep it going.”

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