Kevin Fiala skates full Kings practice with Byfield, Perry

For the first time in this recovery, Fiala wasn't skating off on the side by himself. He was in the actual lineup rushes from the very first drill.

And he didn't just jump in for 1 drill and then drift back to the extras. Fiala stayed with Byfield and Perry the whole practice, the clearest sign yet that the Kings see him as a real piece of their forward group again and not just a guy getting skating reps.

Zach Dooley

@DooleyLAK

FWIW, 2⃣2 has spent the entire practice in that spot. Really positive. Will see if Peter Laviolette has an update after practice!

Zach Dooley

@DooleyLAK

It's just the first drill of practice, but Kevin Fiala took rushes with Quinton Byfield and Corey Perry, while Trevor Moore was with Kenny Connors and Erik Haula.

This has been a long road. Fiala broke his left leg on February 13 at the Milan Cortina Olympics when a collision with Canada's Tom Wilson in a Switzerland-Canada game sent him off the ice on a stretcher. That ended his season with the Kings. He then needed a follow-up surgery over the summer, so he missed training camp and still hasn't played a game this season. Earlier this fall, the hope was a return around the start of November. It's November 9 and he's still in practice mode.

After practice, Laviolette wouldn't commit to anything, and he never does. He called it progress and a step forward, with Fiala now a regular in 5-on-5 drills. He also said the staff is trying to balance game prep with working injured guys back in.

Zach Dooley

@DooleyLAK

No firm update on Fiala today from Peter Laviolette, beyond that he's "making progress towards a return." Today was a "progression" for Fiala in being a regular in 5v5 drills. It's a balance right now for PL & the staff between game preparation & re-integrating injured players.

Zach Dooley

@DooleyLAK

It's just the first drill of practice, but Kevin Fiala took rushes with Quinton Byfield and Corey Perry, while Trevor Moore was with Kenny Connors and Erik Haula.

So if you were hoping to see Fiala in a game this week, slow down. Andrew Knoll, who covers the Kings, has said all along that the hype doesn't match the timeline. In his view, the team's updates have been vague on purpose, and when you piece the details together they point to December.

Andrew Knoll

@AndrewKnollNHL

There are a lot of people who keep thinking Fiala is around the corner. I always though December was probably the realistic target and I don't feel any differently. They have been typically vague with updates but piecing together different tidbits that was my estimate.

Knoll put Troy Terry, the Ducks winger working back from his own serious injury, in the same group. Terry's stated target has always been December to January, and Knoll's bigger point is the one that should worry LA fans: injuries like these come with long ramp-ups, and neither guy may be fully 100% at any point this season.

Andrew Knoll

@AndrewKnollNHL

Similarly Troy Terry's stated target was always December-January. I doubt anything has changed there. These were very serious injuries that will have lengthy ramp-ups and considerable reintegration periods. In reality, we may not see either guy at 100% at any point this season.

Still, a full practice on a real line beats skating alone in a noncontact jersey, and that's where Fiala was not long ago. Next up is contact work and the jersey color change. After that, Laviolette has to fit a guy who hasn't played since February back into his lineup. Byfield and Perry should get used to having him on their wing, because if December holds, that's probably the line he comes back on.