Byfield | GO KINGS GO

Welcome to LA, Quinton Byfield

October 17, 2020November 11, 2020
by KT Nash

The pick is in! The contract is signed! Quinton Byfield is officially a member of the Los Angeles Kings!

Needless to say, Kings fans are excited right now. After the Kings ended their season with a seven game win-streak, it seemed as if they had finally turned a corner in “the plan”, or the rebuild. As if things were not already looking up for the first time in several years, the Kings jumped two spots in the draft lottery, earning the second overall pick. Enter Quinton Byfield.

In almost any other draft, Quinton Byfield would have been the first overall pick: his combination of size, speed, and scoring ability is virtually unmatched, especially for an eighteen-year-old. The 6’4″, 214 lbs center has spent the past two seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves, demonstrating his offensive capabilities. In the 2018-2019 season, he posted 61 points (29+32=61) in 64 games played and in the shortened 2019-2020 season, he posted 82 points (32+50=82) in only 45 games played. It is important to note that he was only sixteen during his first season and seventeen during his second season; in the OHL, these numbers are extremely impressive for a U18 player.

While his offensive statistics are noteworthy, I find his defensive potential particularly interesting. The OHL is an offensively-dominated league: it is not uncommon for even top draft-eligible prospects to be underwater in their plus/minus. Quinton Byfield is not only above water, but significantly so. In the 2018-2019 season, he had a +12 and in the 2019-2020 season, he had a +26. To put these numbers in perspective, I will compare them to the next highest player drafted from the OHL this year: the Anaheim Ducks’ sixth overall pick, defenseman Jamie Drysdale. With the Erie Otters, in the 2018-2019 season, Drysdale had a -24 in 63 games played and, in the 2019-2020 season, he had a +9 in 49 games played. For a defenseman in the OHL, these are solid numbers; however, they do demonstrate how exceptional Byfield’s numbers are, especially considering that he is a center, not a defenseman.

Defensive capability is normally taught over a significant amount of time. Oftentimes, top NHL defensemen and centers use their time in junior/college/minor hockey to finesse their defensive skills. Byfield entered major junior hockey having already learned to use his large size to his defensive advantage and that is rare. There is a reason that he is described as “Anže Kopitar 2.0”: he has the size and skill of Anže Kopitar with the speed that is necessary in the modern NHL and, like Kopitar, he has an innate aptitude for the defensive aspects of the game. I would not be surprised if he was able to accumulate several Selke trophies, the award for the most defensive forward, throughout his career.

Quinton Byfield is more than an impressive player, he is an impressive person. In conjunction with the Sudbury Wolves, he formed the Q’s kids charitable initiative supporting the NEO (Northeastern Ontario) Kids Foundation. He hosts NEO kids and their families as his personal guests at Wolves games. After the games, Quinton Byfield himself gives the kids a tour of the dressing room and introduces them to the whole team! It is clear that Byfield cares about the community around him, given that he put this initiative together himself. Through the Kings Care Foundation, he should be able to continue his community involvement once he is in Los Angeles.

   
  
 
 
  View this post on Instagram
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   Byfield partners with NEO Kids and Wolves in launch of Q&#39;s Kids. 🏒 &#34;To give them a night out with their family where they can have fun is important to me,” said Quinton. 🐺 Read more 👉 visit Story!
 A post shared by  Sudbury Wolves (@sudburywolvesohl) on Jan 13, 2020 at 2:50pm PST

If you are still not impressed by his playing skills and personality, Quinton Byfield is also making history. As a second overall draft pick, Byfield surpassed fourth overall picks Evander Kane and Seth Jones as the highest Black draftee in NHL history. This accomplishment has earned him congratulatory remarks from the entire hockey community and celebrities alike. Byfield is aware of the magnitude of this achievement: he strives to be a role model to a new generation on Black hockey players and their families.

   
  
 
 
  View this post on Instagram
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   Dave Roberts can&#39;t wait to watch @quintonbyfield play in LA. @Dodgers x #GoKingsGo
 A post shared by  LA Kings (@lakings) on Oct 9, 2020 at 2:00pm PDT

On October 16, the Kings officially made Quinton Byfield a member of the team by signing him to a three-year $10.725 million entry-level contract. The Kings have shown their excitement by giving him the highest possible salary for an entry-level deal. This makes Byfield officially eligible to wear number 55 with the Los Angeles Kings as early as next season, whenever it is set to start.

   
  
 
 
  View this post on Instagram
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   Dream come true, Thank you to the @lakings organization and to everyone who’ve helped support me to this point in my career, Can’t wait to get down there and get started #calibaby
 A post shared by @ quintonbyfield on Oct 16, 2020 at 3:49pm PDT

Needless to say, there is a lot of pressure on Byfield to succeed, but don’t expect to see him play at the NHL level just yet. Kings General Manager Rob Blake has acknowledged that, physically, Byfield is ready to play in the league; however, he has also stressed that he does not want to rush Byfield’s development, especially as the team continues their rebuild. Sometimes, in a desperate attempt to improve immediately, transitioning teams rush prospects into the NHL and it stunts their development. Therefore, it is crucial for the team and fans alike to be patient with Byfield and his developmental trajectory.

This is a time of excitement for the Kings. The Kings never even expected to draft second overall this year: the team did not even interview Byfield before the lottery. Just seeing him in a Kings jersey demonstrates that the future is bright for this team and I, for one, am ready to see him in action representing the Kings in the near future.

Main image via Puck Prose

Prospects

2020 NHL Draft Sound Bites

October 8, 2020November 11, 2020
by KT Nash

Did you miss the 2020 NHL Draft and want to learn what the Kings did with their 11 picks? Look no further! This is an overview of what the draft looked like from the Kings’ perspective.

Round 1, 2nd Overall Pick

Ladies and gentlemen, this was the big one. The Kings ended the Byfield vs Stützle debate by selecting Quinton Byfield with their 2nd overall pick, proving my calculation correct! This pick made history as Byfield is now the highest drafted Black player in NHL history. Stay tuned for a full article on Byfield coming soon! Let’s just say that Kings fans are excited about this one!

Round 2, 35th Overall Pick

The Kings selected Helge Grans with this pick. Grans is an eighteen-year-old right-shot defenseman that brings size and skating ability to the table. As a point-per-game player, Grans has been an offensive menace at the junior level; however, he did struggle offensively once he was called up to the SHL’s Malmö Redhawks during the 2019-2020 campaign. Nevertheless, he still projects to be a solid NHL defenseman.

We have a Trade!

The Kings traded their round 2, 51st overall and round 4, 97th overall picks to the Detroit Red Wings in order to move up to the 45th overall pick. With this pick, the Kings selected right-shot defenseman Brock Faber. Faber has shown his skating ability on the United States National Team Development Program and should continue to build upon that at the University of Minnesota next season.

We have Another Trade!

It seems as if the phone was ringing a lot during the draft as the Kings made their second move in the second round. The Kings traded their 60th overall pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for former 2017 7th overall draft pick Lias Andersson. Things never really worked out for Andersson with the Rangers and, as a result of that, he was developed improperly. Hopefully, a fresh start in sunny Los Angeles will allow him to reach his full potential in the league.

Round 3, 66th Overall Pick

The Kings selected Finnish right-winger Kasper Simontaival. Simontaival is an interesting prospect given that he does have a very high ceiling but his young career has been marred by injuries. In the 2019-2020 campaign, Simontaival posted solid offensive numbers, scoring 57 points (25+32=57) in 48 games played, for the junior affiliate for Liiga’s Tappara team. He is known to have a strong hockey sense; however, whether or not he will be able to stay healthy enough to crack the NHL remains to be seen.

Round 3, 83rd Overall Pick

The Kings selected Alex Laferriere (not to be confused with 1st overall pick, Alexis Lafreniere). Laferriere is a a lethal offensive play-maker who specializes in the power play. In the 2019-2020 season, he averaged just over a point-per-game with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers. He is clearly quite smart as well as he committed to play NCAA hockey at Harvard University next season.

Round 4, 112th Overall Pick

At last, we have a goaltender! The Kings selected goalie Juho Markkanen with the 112th overall pick. Markkanen spent the majority of the 2019-2020 campaign with the SaiPa U20 juniors team, posting a .881 save percentage in 18 games played. He is known for his athleticism; however, he needs to fill out his frame to be of a competitive size. Projecting his ability to crack the NHL is difficult because, oftentimes, goaltenders need more time to develop to their full potential. For the time being, expect him to play in Finland.

Round 5, 128th Overall Pick

The Kings selected Slovak left-winger Martin Chromiak. Last season he split time between the Slovakian HK Dukla Trencin team and the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs where he showed off his skills in two continents. With the HK Dukla Trencin, he only managed to post 6 points (5+1=6) in 32 games played; however, it is important to note that he was a seventeen-year-old playing in a men’s league. Once he switched to the Frontenacs, his offensive numbers improved: he posted 33 points (11+22=33) in 28 games played. Many scouts attributed part of this offensive jump to playing on a line with Shane Wright, a top prospect who will be eligible for the 2022 NHL draft. Nevertheless, he may prove to be one of the steals in this year’s draft.

One Last Trade!

The Los Angeles Kings traded the 2020 6th round, 159th overall pick and their 2021 7th round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes for the 2020 5th round, 140th overall pick. With this pick, the Kings selected Ben Meehan, an offensive, left-shot defenseman. Meehan is set to play NCAA hockey at UMass-Lowell where he can continue to work on his defensive game.

Round 7, 190th Overall Pick

The Kings used their last pick of the 2020 NHL draft to select Aatu Jamsen. Jamsen, a native of Finland, is a right-winger for the Pelicans of the U18 SM-sarja league. Last season, he was just short of a two point-per-game player; however, the SM-sarja league is not traditionally looked at for NHL scouting. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see where Aatu Jamsen’s career takes him, especially now that he is set to play on the U20 team.

Final Thoughts

Scouts and NHL experts alike are saying that this was a very successful draft for the Kings. The team has added several solid prospects and a potential superstar in Quinton Byfield to an already stacked prospect pool. This draft is the continuation of the team’s attempt to poise themselves to be very successful in the near future. Watching these prospects develop and eventually matriculate onto the Kings and Reign will be very interesting and I will be here to cover it every step of the way.

Main photo via @LAKings on twitter

Prospects

The Kings’ Take on the 2020 NHL Draft: Byfield…

October 5, 2020October 6, 2020
by KT Nash

There is no question of what the paramount moment of this year’s draft will be for the Los Angeles Kings. Finally the debate will be settled: the Kings will either chose Quinton Byfield or Tim Sützle with their second overall pick. However, this is not the only interesting aspect of the 2020 draft for the Kings. Keep reading for a full primer on what this draft can mean for the Kings and how it will affect “the plan” for the team’s future.

Quinton Byfield vs Tim Stützle

I had to start here because this is what everybody around the NHL and their mother cares about. It is evident that the Rangers will select Alexis Lafrenière with their first overall pick (if they somehow do not, then all of this debate was for nothing because the Kings would be happy to select him) but what the Kings will do with the second overall pick has been the subject of speculation since the draft lottery in June. The Kings have two realistic choices: Quinton Byfield and Tim Stützle.

Normally, I would do a deep dive into each player’s stats and highlights; however, I believe that they are so closely matched that, honestly, it simply does not matter. Either way the Kings are going to select a future star that will do amazing things for the team for years to come. I am simply going to offer some simple soundbites on why each player would be an excellent choice for the team.

The case for Quinton Byfield

He is Anže Kopitar 2.0: a big, strong center who can skate. He is actually quite young to be in the draft, having only turned 18 in August; somehow, the 6’4″, 214 pound Byfield can still grow. He will be a physical force to be reckoned with in the NHL. If selected by the Kings, he will be guided by Anže Kopitar in order to eventually take over the job as the Kings’ number 1 center. Oh, and did I mention, he can score. He will bring offense to a transitioning team that is starved for goals. Byfield seems pretty good to me, but there is still another wonderful option for the Kings.

The case for Tim Stützle

He is German Patrick Kane: a small, fast player with immense offensive skill. At 6’0″ and 187 pounds, he is undersized but his skating and stick handling abilities more than make up for it. He has also proved that he can play in pro hockey, having demonstrated his offensive capabilities in a strong rookie season with the DEL’s Alder Mannheim. He plays both center and left wing, which is arguably more useful to a Kings team with a prospect pool that is already stacked with centers. Stützle’s play also arguably better complements the modern NHL game of speed and skill over size and strength. He is definitely a good option for a Kings team who is looking to get faster and more offensively minded.

An armchair GM’s take

I believe that the choice is Quinton Byfield. It is so incredibly close in my mind, but I can provide some reasoning. Even though Time Stützle may be connected through his fellow countryman and the Kings’ assistant coach Marco Sturm, I think the Kings are going to go with Byfield. The Kings have asserted that they are going to take the best player available over the best fit for the team. Number 1 centers are hard to come by and Byfield fits the bill. There are less questions with him: it is clear that he is going to be a very good player, if not a star in the NHL; however, with Stützle this is less clear (although, personally, I do believe he will be a star). The Kings’ plethora of center prospects will not be a problem with the addition of Byfield: many of them will simply shift to wing at the NHL level. I also believe that the tutelage of Anže Kopitar will be an imperative benefit to Byfield’s development. However, take all of this with a grain of salt. I could very well be quite wrong.

Here is what the choice boils down to: the Kings are either going to chose Canadian Anže Kopitar 2.0 with a higher floor or German Patrick Kane with a higher ceiling. Either way, Kings fans should be excited to watch this new prospect develop and, eventually, become a stat of a future competitive Kings team.

So, what happens after the second overall pick?

The Byfield vs Stützle debate will be settled within minuets of the draft’s commencement. However, this will be just the start of a busy draft for the Kings. The Kings have 11 picks in this year’s draft. This is an insane amount of draft picks and it demonstrates Rob Blake’s and management’s commitment to “the plan”, or the team’s rebuild. Over the past several seasons, the Kings have stocking up on draft picks with the goal of revitalizing their prospect pool that was depleted during the Cup years. This is how the Kings will build a team that will, once again, be competitive in the near future.

All of these draft picks did come at a cost: many fan favorites, including Kyle Clifford, Alec Martinez, and Tyler Toffoli, had to be traded in order to obtain these extra picks. It was simply hard to watch these cup-era players leave, as evident by the calls to “fire Blake” every time he had to make a difficult trade in order to start investing in draft picks, securing the team’s future. However, for the most part, the pain of loosing beloved players is behind us and we can actually start to see the future and it is pretty bright.

The Kings now have the best prospect pool in the league and, with 11 picks in this year’s draft, it is only going to get even better. As a result of this, if the Kings make the playoffs next season, Rob Blake will be on the short list for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. In just a couple seasons, he turned a basically nonexistent prospect pool into the best in the league and these prospects are going to start cracking the NHL lineup, becoming impact players, in the next few seasons.

Now, let’s take a look and see what the Kings can do with all of these picks. After the first couple of picks in the draft, everything becomes pure speculation so I am not going to make any predictions at what specific players the Kings are going to chose. Instead, I am going to look at what type of player the Kings should go for with each pick.

Round 2, pick 35 overall: This is an amazing pick. This pick is, hopefully, going to be a player that slips out of the first round and finds himself with the Los Angeles Kings.

Round 2, picks 51 and 60 overall: These two picks were both acquired in trades. If I had my choice, I would go with a defenseman for at least one of these picks as the Kings are looking to build their defensive prospect pool.

Round 3, picks 66 and 83 overall: This is where the Kings might want to consider taking a goaltender. In the past, Rob Blake has traditionally drafted at least one goaltender every season.

Rounds 4-7, picks 97, 112, 128, 159, and 190 overall: This is the point where I just put my faith in the scouts. Oftentimes, these picks never matriculate to the NHL; however, sometimes stars come out of these late-round picks. Perhaps, the Kings can be one of those lucky teams this year.

This is going to be an extraordinary draft year for the Kings. In my opinion, it is a tipping point for the team with regards to “The Plan.” These draft and prospects picks will start to crack the NHL and, with any luck, the Kings will be a playoff contender as soon as next season!

Check back soon for more draft coverage!

Team News

What the Second Overall Draft Pick Means for the…

July 9, 2020July 9, 2020
by KT Nash

After the initial disappointment of collectively thinking the NHL logo was the Kings’ logo, the Kings’ players, organization, and fans alike may now look forward to what this pick means for the future of the team.

We all remember last year: on the heals of an abysmal season, Kings fans really needed something to be excited about. That excitement was found in two prospects named Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko who were projected to go first and second overall, respectively, in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Needless to say, the Kings wanted, nay needed, one of these picks. With the second worst record in the 2018-2019 season, the Kings had a 26.5% chance of getting one of these touted prospects. However, the draft lottery had other plans in mind and the Kings slipped to fifth overall.

Initially not getting an NHL ready prospect was disappointing, although the Kings arguably came out on top at the end. Neither Hughes or Kakko had stellar freshman seasons; their play would have not been enough to significantly boost the Kings record or play. Instead, the Kings selected Alex Turcotte and watched him develop playing for the Wisconsin Badgers of the NCAA. This proved to be an excellent selection as Turcotte is now the Kings’ top prospect and will likely play in the NHL at some point next season.

While the Kings showed improvement in the 2019-2020 season from the 2018-2019 season, it was by no means a good year for the team. However, there was a light at the end of the tunnel: the Kings beat the odds and won the second overall pick in the draft lottery. There was a 9.6% change that the Kings chose second, compared to overwhelming odds that they would slip in the draft once again in a repeat of the previous season.

While it seems as if the Kings were painfully close to the first overall prize of Alexis Lafrenière, the second overall pick is still warrants immense excitement amongst the team and its fans. Also, historically, the second overall pick has proved to be excellent for the team: the last time the Kings chose second overall in the 2008 NHL entry draft, they selected none other than Drew Doughty.

The 2020 second overall pick should bring the Kings a potential superstar whether they select Quinton Byfield or Tim Stutzle. Now that, coupled with Turcotte and the Kings’ already stacked prospect pool, is going to significantly accelerate the team’s rebuild.

As the Kings’ prospects start making their way into the lineup, the team should improve rapidly. However, the addition of Byfield or Stutzle will simply be invaluable to the team. Either of them could play in the NHL next year or spend another season with their respective teams, saving the Kings cap space and affording the opportunity for another prospect to earn some time playing at the NHL level. Either Byfield or Stutzle will eventually bring offense and speed to a team that craves it. This pick could easily result in the next franchise player and he will hopefully be a part the next Los Angeles Kings championship team.

Getting the second overall pick is evidently amazing: it is going to add another stellar piece to an already stacked prospect pool. Sometimes things just work out. If the Kings had gotten a higher draft pick last season, it is probable that they would not have the second overall pick this year in what is, in my opinion, a better draft. If all goes well, the Kings may find themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot as soon as next season with the addition of Byfield or Stutzle.

After a few rough seasons, it is time to get excited for the future of this team because, in a few years, the Kings will be a force to be reckoned with.