Kevin Fiala scratched for missing team meeting

[bland]

Him scoring a point per game doesn't help his team become more successful?
Again, we all agree that Fiala is difficult to coach but he can definitely help a team if handled the right way. He proved that already.

A 60 point player who doesn't give up 25 goals a year will help you win a hell of a lot more than an 80 point player who bleeds goals and stupid penalties.

The problem is that Fiala consistently risks too much to pile up points in situations where discretion is required. The Kings have seen plenty of 3 goal leads evaporated due to Fiala risking too much to make it a 4 goal lead. Its happened so many times that he has been benched, publicly called out by teammates and too often discussed by one of the bigger homer broadcasts in the game. Its a big problem for the team.

 

[SoundAndFury]

A 60 point player who doesn't give up 25 goals a year will help you win a hell of a lot more than an 80 point player who bleeds goals and stupid penalties.

The problem is that Fiala consistently risks too much to pile up points in situations where discretion is required. The Kings have seen plenty of 3 goal leads evaporated due to Fiala risking too much to make it a 4 goal lead. Its happened so many times that he has been benched, publicly called out by teammates and too often discussed by one of the bigger homer broadcasts in the game. Its a big problem for the team.

They should trade him for Granlund.

 

[Hinterland]

A 60 point player who doesn't give up 25 goals a year will help you win a hell of a lot more than an 80 point player who bleeds goals and stupid penalties.

The problem is that Fiala consistently risks too much to pile up points in situations where discretion is required. The Kings have seen plenty of 3 goal leads evaporated due to Fiala risking too much to make it a 4 goal lead. Its happened so many times that he has been benched, publicly called out by teammates and too often discussed by one of the bigger homer broadcasts in the game. Its a big problem for the team.

If your team is blowing three goal leads on a regular basis then your problems probably go way deeper than Kevin Fiala. That kinda stuff is rarely ever the fault of one single player.

There's no doubt that Fiala is difficult to coach. As we see in this thread alone, he's a very polarizing player. Many love him, many hate him. I understand both sides. Him being too selfish has always held him back over his career but he's also proven to be effective if properly coached and handled the right way.

This is a difficult task though and might be too much to ask from a coach lacking experience.

 

[Dickie Dunn]

Never been so happy to be wrong on a player. In Faber, we trust.

 

[Marlowe Syn]

This sounds like a Fiala v. Hiller feud. People like to pile on the player in such situations, but we don't really know the whole story.

The coach's job includes the responsibility of managing big egos. Maybe he's bad at it?

The is a very fair way to look at it. So I don't want to delve in the player coach relationship, because like you said, we don't know. Hiller is not the first coach to have these same issues with him. Even player friendly coach Bruce Boudreau gave him a "Tough shit" response when Fiala complained about being scratched before a game. It's a common denominator pattern thing with Fiala at this point.

Getting called out by Doughty, though not by name, is also something that does not help. NHL players don't do that very much. Granted double D's isn't one that really ever sticks to the vanilla NHL press script. Still a teammate's word carries a lot of weight in my eyes, especially when it's coming from a veteran leader.

 

[BaileyFan]

Great (not just good) managers of people realize the power of accountability, commitment, selflessness, teamwork, and yes talent will far outweigh a team that they have assembled of high level performers who are sub-standard in the former. That’s coming not just from someone who’s managed people for a living but some of the most successful leaders in business and military.

Now, that’s not exactly one for one when talking about athletes. But if Fiala has proven anything in his career it is that he does nothing on the ice or off it to make a team more successful. At this point he is what he is and he’s proven Guerin and other leaders correct and the sect of Wild fans who continue to know best on the Fiala subject on a near daily basis just need to take their medicine.

This is one of the best moves Guerin has made in a sea of questionable ones. But this move did net them what will likely be the second best player to ever put on a Wild sweater outside of 97. That should be enough to move on but what do I know.

It’s funny how many otherwise mediocre to bad GM’s wind up making the best trade of their management careers when Rob Blake is on the opposite side of the negotiating table.

That would be my guess as well. Fiala wasn't really a problem in LA until Hiller took over as head coach. McLellan has way more experience as head coach than Hiller.

This isn’t true. Todd was still coach when Doughty called Fiala out for treating a game like a cookie night last season. My guess is we’re just seeing an emboldened Kevin now. The team got rid of the 1-3-1 he hated so much, shipped out Dubois making him the highest paid forward on the roster, and now has no Doughty to rip him in the media.

 

[Little Psycho]

His wife is dumb too so there really is no one to save him lol

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

They should trade him for Granlund.

Eww gross. No to that unless the Kings sweeten it with a 1st.

 

[elmaco]

They should trade him for Granlund.

The fun fact is Granny is still tearing it up.

 

[Dirty Dan]

His wife is dumb too so there really is no one to save him lol

is his wife supposed to coach him? Unnecessary insult

 

[featherhawk]

Was busy in Fialaland

yes apparently

 

[MK9]

Jokes were invented before Kelloggs marketing campaign.

Lies. I was there when they were invented and it was for sure well after 1917.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Is Fiala's stache look he's got going satire?

 

[Little Psycho]

This sounds so painfully true of him

 

[Osprey]

This sounds so painfully true of him

As an Android user, I forgive Fiala for his poor decision making.

 

[The Pale King]

I like Fiala and I feel like he's being scapegoated for poor roster construction and player development decisions by the franchise. He's not a perfect hockey player by any means, not one of my favourite Kings ever by a long stretch but he's more effective offensively than... 96.5% of the players to suit up in the silver and black historically.

The penalties he takes can be maddening because they don't serve any purpose usually... but he does have a bit of a target on him lately from certain refs.

I hope he turns it around but having PLD on the roster last season was a litmus test for me in terms of what it means to actually dislike a player. I was considering jumping ship and trying to care about another team because I couldn't stand the thought of having to watch him for another 7 seasons. Fiala isn't even in the same galaxy as PLD for me.

Hiller needs to actually, you know, do coach things and find good linemates for arguably the most talented guy on the roster.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

I hope he turns it around but having PLD on the roster last season was a litmus test for me in terms of what it means to actually dislike a player. I was considering jumping ship and trying to care about another team because I couldn't stand the thought of having to watch him for another 7 seasons. Fiala isn't even in the same galaxy as PLD for me.

With PLD was it bad right away or did he get off to a good start? Asking for a friend.

 

[Osprey]

With PLD was it bad right away or did he get off to a good start? Asking for a friend.

I don't mean to answer for him, but I happened to look it up earlier today and he had 3g 2a for 5pts through the first 8 games with LA last year, so he got off to a pretty decent start. For reference, he has 1g 4a for 5pts through his first 8 games with Washington.

 

[The Pale King]

With PLD was it bad right away or did he get off to a good start? Asking for a friend.

I was skeptical right away because I like Villardi and some of the other assets they gave up to get him. I'm not alone in that. But I tried to give him a fair shake. It helped that Los Angeles started 16-4-4 last season. Dubois was pretty forgettable but the Kings were rolling all four lines really effectively. He got hurt on an end-to-end rush (which was great but way out of character, everyone wanted more of that) crashing into the net, and came back seemingly disinterested. Seemed like a lot of us on the Kings board were thinking "let's see how he responds when the team gets off this unsustainable heater".

And when that happened he showed absolutely nothing and coasted, until T-Mac got fired. By this point it was clear they had an $8 million boat anchor on their hands.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Is Fiala's stache look he's got going satire?

All white guys with standalone mustaches in North America are doing so ironically/satirixally unless they’re a cowboy, rodeo clown, or nascar driver, or a cop

 

[kingsholygrail]

He scored in his return.