Value of: Kevin Fiala

[bland]

In fairness to Kevin I don't think he's particularly selfish or that he's out stat-hunting--i think he's just really stupid and you cannot count on him to understand situational instructions or read a developing play. Like if you're playing a video game where your AI teammate is really powerful but spends most of the time getting stuck trying to navigate stairs.

The game that Doughty called Mr. X out for "looking for cookies" came after the Kings had a three goal lead and at the end of a shift Fiala had the puck at the blueline with a change happening behind him and instead of dumping it in he tried to cut across laterally into a 3 on 1, losing the puck leading to a breakaway goal. Later, he had the puck at the left point on the PP and tried to deke the high forward, got stripped and gave up a shorthander. He followed that up with a dive and a retaliation slash after he was angry that he didn't get the call.

Fiala is like a litmus test for hockey fans. If you only care about offensive numbers, highlight reel edgework and don't understand situational play, he is your man.

 

[f7ben]

The game that Doughty called Mr. X out for "looking for cookies" came after the Kings had a three goal lead and at the end of a shift Fiala had the puck at the blueline with a change happening behind him and instead of dumping it in he tried to cut across laterally into a 3 on 1, losing the puck leading to a breakaway goal. Later, he had the puck at the left point on the PP and tried to deke the high forward, got stripped and gave up a shorthander. He followed that up with a dive and a retaliation slash after he was angry that he didn't get the call.

Fiala is like a litmus test for hockey fans. If you only care about offensive numbers, highlight reel edgework and don't understand situational play, he is your man.

I care about my team dominating possession and all offensive metrics and I have only ever seen that type of play one time in 25 years of wild frustration and that is when we had Fiala and Boldy crushing it behind the Kap line. Fiala changes games for the better far more than the worse. I’ll take his bone head plays any time

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

In fairness to Kevin I don't think he's particularly selfish or that he's out stat-hunting--i think he's just really stupid and you cannot count on him to understand situational instructions or read a developing play. Like if you're playing a video game where your AI teammate is really powerful but spends most of the time getting stuck trying to navigate stairs.

Yeah the heart and effort is there. I always say he has big golden retriever energy. But he has bricks for brains. You can tell he's a high skill guy who never learned to use his teammates effectively, a high-end Athanasiou.

My only thought about where he's selfish are his penalties. He won't stick up for teammates, but if you look at him wrong after a soft turnover you're getting boarded.

The funniest thing was the other night Cousins looking him dead in the eye and says "you're a selfish player" and Fiala's immediate response was a selfish penalty

 

[Digitalbooya]

This thread is a trip down memory lane. Wild fans were very similar in their thoughts not that long ago.

 

[Reaper45]

Hands down the most talented player we’ve had in LA since Ziggy Palffy. Why no one has reunited him on a line with Danault is beyond me.

 

[57special]

Since arriving in LA, is second behind Kopitar in points by a slim margin (151 to 149)in 12 fewer games, he leads the team in P/PG during that time, and is essentially, a P/PG player(.96).

At the time of the trade, there were varying opinions on Faber, but he has surpassed the wildest expectations. Literally no one saw him as a guy who would come in and score 47 points in his rookie year, while manning the point of MN's #1 PP. Hell, the guy didn't play the PP on his freaking college team.
My point is that Blake got decent value in the trade at that time, when the #19 pick was thought to be the most valuable piece of the trade. Many thought that Guerin sold low on Fiala. This is a case of hindsight being 20/20.

If fans want to unload on Blake for decisions like the PLD trade, or moving Durzi, go ahead, but Fiala is not the problem on LA that some seem to be making him out to be. Who knows if Faber would've developed the same in the LA system, anyway, with their logjam of RHD(at that time).