One of the Los Angeles Kings‘ star forwards, Kevin Fiala, is going to miss more time before jumping back on the NHL ice.
The Kings made the following announcement on Thursday before training camp arrives.
“Forward Kevin Fiala underwent a procedure related to the initial surgery to repair injuries sustained at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Fiala is expected to miss the start of training camp. A timeline for his return to play will be determined as he continues to recover.”
Fiala suffered fractures to his lower left leg during a preliminary game against Team Canada in Milan-Cortina.
Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson was the skater from Team Canada who got tangled up with the Swiss native.
Fiala went down awkwardly after Wilson’s weight came down on his leg. He was stretchered off the ice face-down and immediately transported to a local hospital in Italy, where emergency surgery was performed.
“Not the ending I imagined for my first Olympics. Thank you, everyone, for reaching out. I truly appreciate the support,” Fiala said on Instagram after his emergency surgery.
How Kings operate without Fiala
As head coach Peter Laviolette navigates training camp, he’ll have to do so without Fiala. The Kings have just $1.7 million in cap space, so signing a free agent may not be on the table.
Should Laviolette and the Kings want to bring someone in, then they have their pick of the litter.
Forwards still open to a contract are Michael Bunting, Patrik Laine, Gustav Nyquist, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jonathan Drouin, and even Evander Kane, among others. These are just the immediate veterans that come to mind.
Perhaps the Kings bring a forward in on a professional tryout while the timeline for Fiala becomes more concrete.
Should Fiala not miss more than a few weeks, then a free agent signing may not be worth their while, or commit to a player who may not warrant a contract just to temporarily fill a roster spot.
Laviolette will seemingly want a veteran to step in now should Los Angeles want one of their star players to take his time recovering.
Kings aiming for a strong season offensively
Not having Fiala out of the gate this season will hurt the Kings. Yes, they were a playoff team last season, but the Kings will need to improve.
The Kings’ goal differential says it all. They were a minus 18 in the 2025-26 campaign and still squeaked into the postseason.
Their power play ranked 28th in the NHL, converting 17% of the time. Andrei Kuzmenko had the most power play goals (8), with no one else scoring more than 5 on the man advantage.
Los Angeles will also have to adjust to life after Anze Kopitar. Adrian Kempe was doing well when Kopitar was around, but it will be who steps up around him on offense.
Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere will be expected to take steps in their game after scoring over 40 points apiece. Laviolette will implement his system with the Kings, but as they begin this season, it will be about how it meshes together on the ice.
Follow Nick Kieser on Twitter/X: @KieserNick
Kings Star Forward to Miss Time at Training Camp