2014 NHL Draft: Detroit Red Wings First Round Draft Prospects

Kevin Fiala

  Position: LW/RW Current Team: HV 71 (Swedish Hockey League) Date of Birth: July 22, 1996 Place of Birth: Uzwil, Switzerland Height: 5’11” Weight: 195 lbs Shoots: Left  

Kevin Fiala grew up in Switzerland, but quickly outplayed the opportunities there and moved on to Sweden and its higher-quality leagues for his 16-year-old season.

He got his first taste of the top-shelf SHL at age 17, and didn’t look out of place. He’s very good with the puck on his stick and does have some sneaky quickness in his legs.

Fiala is a dynamic skater.  He has great speed and acceleration.  He can beat defenders to the outside and get by them and cut to the net.  He has great edgework and agility, and a tremendous first step.  This gives him the ability to fool defenders with quick cuts and then turning on the jets.

Fiala has very good balance and is strong on the puck and this should only improve as he continues to add muscle going forward.

“Fiala is a high-end offensive talent who plays with a chip on his shoulder. Positionally he is inconsistent at this stage of his development in terms of defending. But his creativity combined with quick skating, shooting, stick handling and passing skills — and the ability to find open spaces — make him dangerous every time he’s on the ice”. – Hockeys’s Future

I cant even make a full style comparison for Fiala.  There really isn’t a player in the NHL who plays with as much reckless defensive abandon as he does.

Its a big-time boom or bust with Fiala as he will need to learn some form of defensive game, or never find himself an NHL regular.