Los Angeles Kings' Best Trade Of The Past Year

Though the Los Angeles Kings have been busy over the past year, most of the moves have been minor deals. They have had a couple of big ones that have been integral to the success of the team this season though as the trades involved acquiring Kevin Fiala, Joonas Korpisalo, and Vladislav Gavrikov.

The acquisition of Fiala came last summer and it cost the Kings Brock Faber and the 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft. This now seems like a small price to pay for their leading scorer. As the Kings have been known as a great defensive team for a long time, great scorers haven't generally been a part of their system. Even back when they won two Stanley Cups in three years, it was because of the great play in their own end.

It seems like the narrative is somewhat changing and they invested in Fiala who was a point-per-game player last season with the Minnesota Wild. He has not disappointed this season with the Kings as he leads the team with 72 points in 69 games, followed by Anze Kopitar's 68 points in 77 games. Fiala is only 26 and the Kings got him signed after they acquired him.

Fiala has contributed the entire season, but Korpisalo and Gavrikov came in and really shored up the Kings' play in their own end. The team couldn't really get a save all season until Korpisalo came in and continued where he left off in Columbus as one of the hottest goaltenders in the league. With Gavrikov also staying in front of him and having his focus on the defensive side of the game first, the Kings have reduced their goals against and became a very dangerous team. But since Fiala has been amazing for the Kings for longer and didn't cost a ton to get, that's Los Angeles' best trade of the past year.