In this edition of The Journey, we will look at the fantasy potential of Nashville Predators forward prospect Kevin Fiala.

After not drafting a forward in the first round since 2010, the Nashville Predators selected Kevin Fiala with the 11^th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry draft. 

Born in a small town in northeast Switzerland to Czech parents, Fiala learned the game of hockey from his father Jan. A former professional hockey player in the Swiss lower leagues, Jan coached his son until the age of 15 when Kevin moved on to a larger club in Zurich. After outgrowing his peers in Switzerland from a talent standpoint, the Swiss winger moved on to the Malmö Redhawks in Sweden as a 16 year old, playing for Malmö’s U18 and U20 teams. In his draft year, Fiala made his senior level debut and played well with HV71 of the Swedish Elite League. His draft stock rose through the season as he scored 17 points (4G, 13A) in 25 games in the regular season and playoffs.

Fiala has a decorated international career, playing with his native Switzerland at the U18, U20, and World Championship level. In his 108 games with the national team the winger has recorded 101 points at both the junior and senior levels. He is one of only three players to play in the U18, U20, and World Championships in the same year.

Last season, Fiala split time across three different leagues. He began the year with HV71, scoring 14 points (5G,9A) in 20 games. The majority of his year was spent with Milwaukee in the American Hockey League, where he shined in his first stint in North America. His 20 points (11G,9A) in 33 games were good enough to earn him his first NHL call-up, making his debut in a 3-2 win over Montreal at the end of March. Nashville insisted during the playoffs that they would not rush Fiala into the lineup, but he was inserted Game 4 of the Predators first round series versus Chicago, playing 11 minutes in a triple overtime loss. 

Possessing incredible puck control ability, he uses his elite agility and hands to control the game in the offensive zone. Although he is not a big bodied winger at 5’10”, he does not shy away from contact and is gritty enough to fight for possession in the corners. He uses the space that he creates for himself not only to look for scoring opportunities, but also to get his teammates involved. If he reaches his ceiling, Fiala has the ability to become an elite playmaking winger at the NHL level in the Patrick Kane mold. Coach Peter Laviolette’s system fits Fiala’s skill set perfectly. Laviolette has had many offensive players who have had their best offensive seasons under his tutelage. With the success of Filip Forsberg in Nashville last season, many Predators fans will be looking for Fiala to make a similar impact in the 2015-16 season.

Fantasy Potential:

Fiala is the best offensive prospect in Nashville’s system with Filip Forsberg becoming a full-time NHL player in 2014-15.

He has a future in the Predators top six, but it could take a year of seasoning until he is an offensive force. If he makes the team in 2015-16, he will likely start as a third-line winger that gets second unit power-play time.

In the future, Fiala projects as a 60-75 point, first-line player getting top power-play minutes. He does have Patrick Kane like qualities if he hits his very high ceiling.

Dobber Prospect Rank: 26^th overall prospect in Dobber Hockey’s Top 215

Fantasy Outlook: A-

Pros: Puck Skills, Offensive Awareness, Acceleration

Cons: Defensive Awareness, Positioning

Anticipated NHL Arrival:  2015-16. He should not have a problem making Nashville’s roster this season. Monitor how training camp is progressing and temper expectations early in the season.

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