Kevin Fiala is back in the NHL, and the Los Angeles Kings finally have one of their key offensive pieces available again after a nine-month absence.
The Kings activated Fiala from injured reserve on Thursday and sent him into action against the New York Islanders, where he picked up an assist in a 5-2 loss. It was his first game since a serious injury at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February ended his tournament with Switzerland and shut him down for an extended stretch.
Fiala’s time away from NHL action stretched roughly nine months, a long recovery that put his season on hold before it ever really got going. His return gives Los Angeles a proven scorer back in the lineup, even if the ramp-up to full rhythm could take time.
Before the injury, Fiala had already established himself as a high-end producer. His best season came in 2021-22, when he posted career highs with 33 goals and 85 points in 82 games. He finished second on the Wild in scoring that year, behind only Kirill Kaprizov.
That same summer, Minnesota dealt Fiala to the Kings for a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and defenseman Brock Faber. The move ended up playing a major role in shaping the Wild’s future, with Faber becoming one of the team’s most important defensemen.
For Fiala, the trade gave him a fresh chance to keep building his reputation as a top offensive threat in Los Angeles. Then the Olympic injury interrupted everything.
Now, after the long recovery, he’s back on the ice and back in the NHL, with the Kings hoping his offensive touch returns quickly.
In Other News...
Wild Suddenly Have A Goalie Dilemma They Cant Ignore
Filip Gustavssons recovery from offseason hip surgery has quietly turned into one of the more interesting roster storylines around the Wild, because his return is no longer just about getting a goalie back. Kaapo Kahkonen has handled the starting job well enough this season to give Minnesota a real sense of stability in net, which changes the conversation from simple reinforcements to something far more complicated.
Once Gustavsson is cleared medically, the Wild will have to sort out what that means for the depth chart and the rest of the roster. A strong goaltending situation is usually a good problem to have, but it can also force a hard look at whether Minnesota might use the extra value in goal to address other needs, even though no trade or official decision has been made yet. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Could Be Closer To Dylan Larkin Than This Trade Suggests
The Matt Duchene deal from 2017 is worth revisiting now because it offers a template for how a team can move a star without making the process feel impossible. In that case, the Colorado Avalanche used a three-team trade to solve multiple problems at once, and the same kind of structure could matter if Detroit tries to work through Dylan Larkins trade request. For the Wild, the interesting part is not just the player involved but the ripple effect around him, especially with Larkins 10-team no-trade list and the salary piece making a straightforward deal harder to pull off.
Minnesotas angle is a little different, but no less relevant, because the clubs current position could shape how much value its draft picks carry in any larger trade framework. If Detroit needs flexibility and a partner willing to help balance the moving parts, the Wild are at least close enough to the conversation to make this worth watching. The question is whether that proximity turns into something real, or whether Minnesota simply ends up as one of the teams circling while the bigger mechanics of a Larkin deal get sorted out elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Fans Have A Quinn Hughes Situation Worth Watching
The Quinn Hughes watch has become one of the more interesting side stories around the Wild, even if the club is in no rush to force the issue. General manager Bill Guerin said there is no urgency in contract talks, and Hughes is taking his time as he weighs his future. For Minnesota, that kind of patience matters because any uncertainty around a player of that caliber can ripple well beyond one roster decision.
Around the league, the market for defensemen is already getting noisy. Carolina is reportedly eyeing Erik Karlsson if Pittsburgh ever makes him available, Toronto is still hunting for a top-four upgrade while juggling cap limitations, and former NHL defenseman Erik Johnson has voiced frustration with how often players now push for moves before contracts run out. Against that backdrop, Hughes remains a name worth tracking closely, even if the next step is still being left to unfold. [Read more 🡒]