Nashville Predators Rookie Kevin Fiala Claiming Territory on NHL Roster
The Nashville Predators rookie is busy making the most of his opportunities, impressing Smashville.
The Nashville Predators took a swing in the first round of the 2014 draft, opting to select Swiss winger Kevin Fiala 11th overall. Ringing in at an undersized 5’10, 187 lbs., the hope was that the youngster could utilize his explosive offensive abilities in a league that is quickly transitioning from size to speed.
History tells us this story: Fiala was hoping to make the NHL roster entering last season, but failed to make the cut. He appeared in only 5 games with the Nashville Predators, registering a single point- his first career NHL goal.
Spending essentially his entire season at the AHL level, Fiala led the Milwaukee Admirals in scoring, notching 50 points (18 goals, 32 assists) in 66 games. His performance there and an impressive offseason earned him the opportunity to start the 2016-17 campaign with the Nashville Predators.
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The 20-year-old took to the ice for 10 of the first 11 games to the season, given ample chance to succeed playing significant top line minutes alongside stars Ryan Johansen and James Neal. Though showing creativity in space, the undersized skater found issues winning battles along the boards, often bodied off the puck.
With his only point production coming in a two-goal performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the team going 2-5-3 with him in the lineup (they earned a 5-1 victory against the Avalanche in the single game he was scratched), the Nashville Predators decided to shake things up and Fiala was once again relegated to the AHL level.
Things then fell into place for the Preds- they ripped off three straight wins and began a dominant 7-2-0 stretch of hockey. By no means was Fiala was the singular fault for Nashville’s poor play, but there began to be a dramatic difference in record with him in (2-5-3) and out (8-2-0) of the lineup, something that must have gone noticed higher up in the Predators camp.
With the team rolling through November, it seemed a tough task for Fiala to crack back into the NHL lineup. But like a true professional, it appeared he was primarily concerned about improving his game.
The explosiveness of Fiala’s ability began to shine through once again as he donned the Milwaukee Admirals jersey, averaging over a point-per-game. After notching 2 goals and 6 assists in his 7 games in the AHL, the call came down from Nashville once more as a number of injuries opened up golden opportunities.
Fiala arrived in Smashville a different player. Each of his three games since his return has been better than the last, and each one has been his best performance at the NHL level thus far.
He looks significantly stronger on the puck, smarter defensively, and perhaps most importantly, he’s been finding the net at an incredible rate. With 3 goals in the past 2 games, Fiala’s offensive output has been driven more by positioning than sniping- the mark of an intelligent skater, and a great sign for such a young player.
Often it just takes time for skaters to find their feet in the league, and it appears that Kevin Fiala is doing just that. His season’s trajectory is closely mimicking that of Viktor Arvidsson’s last year, and look at how well that’s turned out for the Nashville Predators.
Playing the kind of hockey Fiala is currently playing will make it nearly impossible for him to be sent back down to the AHL, meaning that once players (including sniper James Neal) return to active duty, the Preds stand a fantastic chance of being able to put four lines capable of scoring on the ice. And that’s the kind of structure that wins you Stanley Cups these days.