It was very much a tale of two seasons for Kevin Fiala as the LA Kings forward finished the regular season on a high note. He would end the regular season with 35 goals, which was a career high, and 25 assists with a +/- of -7.
However, the first few months of the season Fiala really struggled as he had only 16 goals and 13 assists with a +/- of -12 through 48 games. Around the end of January and beginning of February, Fiala got a vote of confidence from head coach Jim Hiller.
The Kings' head coach essentially said that the advanced metrics showed he was going to turn a corner. Fiala did just that as he had 19 goals and 12 assists in the final 33 games and was almost a point per game player with a +/- of +5.
His 35 goals were enough to tie Adrian Kempe for the team lead in the category and remained one of the top playmakers into the playoffs with seven points in the six games against the Edmonton Oilers. However, the thing that really set him apart was on the power play, as he had 14 power-play goals, with the rest of the team combining for only 23 power-play goals this season.
Grade for LA Kings' forward Kevin Fiala for 2024-25 season: B+
At the beginning of February, it is hard to imagine that Kevin Fiala would have even been in discussion for leading the team in goals. However, it was a very strong finish alongside Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere but really helped his grade was the performance on the power play.
The Kings this season struggled collectively on the power play but Fiala was definitely a bright spot for this group. The power play will certainly be a focus of improvement this offseason and if Fiala can continue this level, with some new players around him, it could turn around quickly next season.