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The Los Angeles Kings will have to start camp without Kevin Fiala. The Swiss forward underwent another procedure related to the serious leg injury he suffered at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games, and his return timeline remains open. For a team entering a transition season, with a new offensive cycle to establish, the absence—even temporarily—of one of its most reliable creators comes at the wrong time.
A follow-up operation, but not a minor detail
The franchise has not provided a precise date for Fiala’s return to play.
The franchise has not provided a precise date for Fiala’s return to play. The message is therefore cautious: he will miss the start of training camp, and a timeline will then be set based on the progress of his recovery. This wording avoids excessive alarm, but it does not downplay anything. A second procedure after a major fracture is a reminder that returning to the highest level is not merely a matter of willpower or putting skates back on.
Fiala was injured in February with Switzerland against Canada, when a collision with Tom Wilson left him on the ice before he was evacuated. After undergoing surgery for the first time in Italy, he missed the end of the NHL season. Several months later, his medical case is therefore not closed at a time when players are normally resuming their autumn routine.
The Kings are losing time with an offensive engine
Before his injury, Fiala had recorded 18 goals and 22 assists in 56 games. That total does not tell the whole story, but it gives an idea of the scale: Los Angeles is losing, at least for the start of training camp, a player capable of attacking the zone, producing on the power play and forcing defenses to adjust. For a team that has already changed its identity during the offseason, every week of camp carries more weight.
The Kings are coming off a frustrating season that ended in the first round of the playoffs. They also turned a major page with Anze Kopitar’s retirement and the arrival of Peter Laviolette behind the bench. In this context, camp is not only about getting the legs moving again. It must build chemistry, assign responsibilities and clarify the lines. Fiala’s absence, even briefly, leaves an empty chair in this first sketch.
An offense to reorganize without rushing
The trap would be to draw a definitive conclusion before the first real practice. The available information does not say that Fiala will miss the start of the regular season, only that his camp will begin late. But the schedule is tight: Los Angeles must begin its season at the end of September, and a shortened preparation always complicates the balance between medical caution and the need to find a rhythm.
For the Kings, the priority will be not to turn a September absence into an October problem. The offseason additions and young players expected at camp will have an opportunity to take on more minutes during the auditions. It is not ideal, but it is useful: a team that wants to avoid relying on two or three individual talents must learn to produce when one of them is missing.
The Fiala situation goes beyond the injury list
At 30, Fiala remains under a long-term contract and occupies a central place in Los Angeles’ offensive plans. His injury therefore affects sports planning just as much as the immediate lineup. The Kings do not need to dramatize the situation to know that his return must be solid, not merely quick.
What happens next will be determined by the medical details and by the player’s response on the ice. If the recovery progresses without setbacks, this alert will remain a preparation setback. If the uncertainty continues, Los Angeles will very quickly have to find more lasting solutions on its wings. For now, the club is mainly buying time with restrained communication, while Fiala enters a new stage of a return that still requires patience.