The Los Angeles Kings’ projected second line for 2027 is built around Erik Haula, Kevin Fiala and Mats Zuccarello, but the scoring pecking order looks pretty clear before the season even gets rolling.
Kevin Fiala is the player expected to drive the group. He’s projected as the point leader on the second line because of the kind of finishing touch he has shown throughout his career.
Fiala has gone over 30 goals seven times, while Zuccarello has reached that mark only three times. Los Angeles has leaned on Fiala as its top scoring threat on that line since he arrived, and that setup is expected to stay in place with Zuccarello joining the mix.
Fiala is the number one option and the best player on the second line for the Kings.
Zuccarello should still be a major playmaking presence, even if he doesn’t finish with the most points among the three. He led this unit in points last season, but that may not hold in 2027.
What he does have is a five-year run of at least 35 points per season, something neither Fiala nor Haula can match right now. Zuccarello is also the likeliest assist leader on the line.
The comparison between Fiala and Zuccarello has already been settled before. In 2022, both were with the Minnesota Wild, and Fiala posted better numbers despite Zuccarello skating on the first line and Fiala on the third.
Fiala finished with 85 points to Zuccarello’s 79. Over the next three seasons, from 2023 through 2025, Fiala also outscored him each year.
The pattern has been the same: Fiala brings the better goal production and more total offense.
Haula sits third in this projected trio. He’s expected to take on second-line center duties for the Kings, but that role is more about handling defensive work than carrying the attack.
Last season, he spent most of his time on the third line with the Nashville Predators. Even if he locks down the second-line center spot, he’ll still be the clear offensive afterthought of the three.
Fiala and Zuccarello have both put up 60-point seasons four times in their careers. Haula has never hit 60 points in a season.
So while Haula may be asked to hold things together in the middle, the offense on this line should run through Fiala, with Zuccarello right behind him as the setup man. Haula would be the number three forward here, even if he gets the most time with that second unit.
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