Kings Getting a Boost With Vilardi’s Return

Tuesday afternoon Los Angeles Kings' forward Gabe Vilardi announced to media that he is "ready to play" in Game two Wednesday night.

After a big comeback victory in Game one, the return of one of their most productive players will be a massive boost for the Kings.

Vilardi finished the regular season with 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games. He was crucial on the Kings' power play and for their depth scoring. 

Vilardi's also made massive strides in his defensive play and can flip the bottom-six matchup for the Kings, assuming he stays on the third line.

He has true game breaking ability and is one of the few players on the Kings roster who can create goals out of nothing. With no Kevin Fiala, Vilardi joins Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar as the only forwards on the roster with that ability.

He doesn't throw his weight around much, but at 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, he brings a physical presence the Kings will also benefit from.

Despite the win, the Kings were physically bullied in game one and adding Vilardi will help combat that. 

Vilardi's been struggling with in an injury for over a month now and hasn't played since March 26. Expectations shouldn't be too high for him.

But if he's healthy and can quickly get back up to game speed, this addition can change the series.

One player won't win this series for the Kings. But already up 1-0 in the series, adding Vilardi will give them a lot of confidence.