Mats Zuccarello Returns to a Kings Team Desperate for a Pulse

The Los Angeles Kings are getting Mats Zuccarello back on the ice, which is fantastic news if you believe a guy with exactly one assist is the missing piece to save a season that is currently circling the drain.

Zuccarello is officially rejoining the lineup for Tuesday's matchup against the Nashville Predators. The veteran winger missed the last six games with an upper-body injury, leaving a roster that was already struggling to find the back of the net completely exposed.

To say the Kings need a spark is a massive understatement. Los Angeles is sitting at an ugly 5-8-2, buried in seventh place in the Pacific Division. They just got outscored 12-4 over their last two games by the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks, which is the kind of defensive effort that makes you want to check the under on their season win total.

Zuccarello was supposed to be a savvy veteran addition when he signed a one-year deal this summer. Instead, his start in Los Angeles has been a complete ghost tour. One point in six games is not exactly moving the needle for a team that is already nine points behind the Utah Mammoth for the final Western Conference playoff spot.

The actual lifeline buried in this injury update is Kevin Fiala. The dynamic winger is reportedly close to making his season debut, potentially as early as Thursday against the New York Islanders or Saturday against the Calgary Flames.

Fiala has been sidelined since February after suffering a brutal lower leg fracture at the Olympics. Before his leg snapped, he was carrying the offense with 40 points in 56 games. Getting him back on the ice alongside Artemi Panarin is the only reason to hold out hope that this forward group can actually compete.

Until Fiala is officially cleared, the Kings have to survive with what they have. Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators is a desperate spot for a team that needs to start stacking points immediately before the playoff math becomes completely impossible.