C Quinton Byfield (2020, 2nd, LAK) part III

[Raccoon Jesus]

One would think but it seems like a lot of posters have a bag of excuses ready for this guy.

If "bag of excuses" means "last year's highly-touted #3 OA with a mature game and an NHL season under his belt is also on the team," then yeah, hold this giant bag for me.

 

[The Andrew Peeke Fan]

To me there are still a lot of elements missing from his game. I watched the scrimmages and like my viewings last year I wasn't wowed by him.

Yes he flashes his combination of explosiveness and soft mitts fairly regularly and also pulls the odd power move to the net but it doesn't generally lead to much. Imo it is mostly due to him trying to do too much.

He dekes one guy nicely but then trys to go at a second guy and gets the puck stripped. He tends to try to rely too much on his talent and against better competition he is more easily shut down.

The biggest things I think he needs to add to his game to truly be a dominant force are a simplified approach in his transition offense. If he can learn to work more give and goes where he defers the puck in the nz and then hits a hole hard with his size and speed he will get a lot of chances.

He is also going to need to learn how to use his size to shield the puck effectively down low. Good thing for him is he will be learning from one of the best at this in Kopitar.

Great post, thanks.

 

[Kingfan1967]

All previous WJC's have players who have been playing for 2 months before
the tournament. This year it's like looking at a rookie training camp with a lot less recent ice time for the invites.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

To me there are still a lot of elements missing from his game. I watched the scrimmages and like my viewings last year I wasn't wowed by him.

Yes he flashes his combination of explosiveness and soft mitts fairly regularly and also pulls the odd power move to the net but it doesn't generally lead to much. Imo it is mostly due to him trying to do too much.

He dekes one guy nicely but then trys to go at a second guy and gets the puck stripped. He tends to try to rely too much on his talent and against better competition he is more easily shut down.

The biggest things I think he needs to add to his game to truly be a dominant force are a simplified approach in his transition offense. If he can learn to work more give and goes where he defers the puck in the nz and then hits a hole hard with his size and speed he will get a lot of chances.

He is also going to need to learn how to use his size to shield the puck effectively down low. Good thing for him is he will be learning from one of the best at this in Kopitar.

I like Byfield, actually had him at #1 on my board. But I have thought for a while he should play junior hockey this year. He has more rounding to do in his game. Kopitar will be a great mentor though, Carter also is a big center that can help teach him offensive transition as he was big man with great wheels that played through people in transition something Byfield should excel at. Those two are great guys to learn from, I would wait a year though, but we shall see. I am really excited about his talent, if he puts it all together he will be a dominant player and I think an exciting talent to watch. I hope it works out, he does need to play simple more often, but I think he is really close to exploding, felt the same way about Draisaitl back in the day.

 

[Kingfan1967]

In normal years Byfield would be a tweener , too good for the juniors but not quite NHL ready ( because of age not talent ) , but with Covid he'll lose most of his junior season, and after his 9 game stint in the NHL their isn't much point in going back to juniors for 20 some odd games. ( actually benefits him in that it burns a year off his elc ).

 

[jj cale]

If "bag of excuses" means "last year's highly-touted #3 OA with a mature game and an NHL season under his belt is also on the team," then yeah, hold this giant bag for me.

One must consider the source of that post you were responding to.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I like Byfield, actually had him at #1 on my board. But I have thought for a while he should play junior hockey this year. He has more rounding to do in his game. Kopitar will be a great mentor though, Carter also is a big center that can help teach him offensive transition as he was big man with great wheels that played through people in transition something Byfield should excel at. Those two are great guys to learn from, I would wait a year though, but we shall see. I am really excited about his talent, if he puts it all together he will be a dominant player and I think an exciting talent to watch. I hope it works out, he does need to play simple more often, but I think he is really close to exploding, felt the same way about Draisaitl back in the day.

Fortunately it sounds like LAK's plan at this point is just that, keep him in juniors this year. Blows my mind that he was the youngest member of last year's WJC team AND this year's team! There's obviously a lot of growth that has to happen but I trust our development team as they've constantly erred on the side of caution as well as--as you point out--the potential mentorship and insulation of Kopitar. None of our guys are getting jammed into spots they aren't ready for, thanks to Kopitar/Doughty/Quick as well as Brown/Carter.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Fortunately it sounds like LAK's plan at this point is just that, keep him in juniors this year. Blows my mind that he was the youngest member of last year's WJC team AND this year's team! There's obviously a lot of growth that has to happen but I trust our development team as they've constantly erred on the side of caution as well as--as you point out--the potential mentorship and insulation of Kopitar. None of our guys are getting jammed into spots they aren't ready for, thanks to Kopitar/Doughty/Quick as well as Brown/Carter.

And where you have gotten this idea from?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

And where you have gotten this idea from?

various interviews from Blake and Byfield recently--let me see if I can find source easy over lunch

 

[Rabid Ranger]

One must consider the source of that post you were responding to.

I don't understand posts like this. I don't have an agenda. All I'm saying is fans tend to make excuses for their favorite prospects. This isn't unique to Byfield. A guy with his size and skill should dominate this tournament-don't you agree?

 

[redcard]

I don't understand posts like this. I don't have an agenda. All I'm saying is fans tend to make excuses for their favorite prospects. This isn't unique to Byfield. A guy with his size and skill should dominate this tournament-don't you agree?

"seems like a lot of posters have a bag of excuses ready for this guy"

If you dismiss people who disagrees with you as making excuses, people are going to find ways to dismiss your post too.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I don't understand posts like this. I don't have an agenda. All I'm saying is fans tend to make excuses for their favorite prospects. This isn't unique to Byfield. A guy with his size and skill should dominate this tournament-don't you agree?

That's not what you said. Trace it back a page or two and you said it would just be a "bag of excuses" if Byfield isn't the 1C. I said sure--Kirby Dach is a pretty legit excuse, don't you think? If Byfield doesn't show well otherwise it would be a bummer, but I don't think it's 1C position or bust, especially when the previous year's NHL-experienced, mature-game 3OA is in play vs. a MUCH rawer, much younger player in Quinton.

Hard to humor you when you're talking in silly absolutes.

 

[jj cale]

I don't understand posts like this. I don't have an agenda. All I'm saying is fans tend to make excuses for their favorite prospects. This isn't unique to Byfield. A guy with his size and skill should dominate this tournament-don't you agree?

Well, let's wait and see if he does or not, the tournament hasn't even started yet. It was his first kick at the can last year and he was really young. Some times players can take awhile to put it together and sometimes they never do but as you say the tools are there.

It's not excuses all the time, he's still a kid and needs to figure some things out, let's give him that time. You would think he was terrible last season or something, he had a very good season with 8 points shy of 2 pts a game in the OHL.

You've got the same thing happening with guys like Kakko and Hughes, they didn't exactly light the world on fire last year so people are on them and are starting to put Dach higher after one teenage season.

Some people need to just be more patient.

 

[Lt Dan]

Hard to humor you when you're talking in silly absolutes.

 

[KapG]

Isn’t he the youngest guy at the tourney again or something?

 

[Peasy]

Isn’t he the youngest guy at the tourney again or something?

Youngest on Team Canada.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Isn’t he the youngest guy at the tourney again or something?

5 x 2004 born players and 18 x 2003 born players, so...nope

 

[KapG]

Youngest on Team Canada.

My mistake. Thought there was something about him being the youngest and that’s exactly what it was

 

[KapG]

5 x 2004 born players and 18 x 2003 born players, so...nope

Yah was my mistake. Youngest on team Canada again

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Yah was my mistake. Youngest on team Canada again

Indeed.

 

[MBH]

I like Byfield, actually had him at #1 on my board. But I have thought for a while he should play junior hockey this year. He has more rounding to do in his game. Kopitar will be a great mentor though, Carter also is a big center that can help teach him offensive transition as he was big man with great wheels that played through people in transition something Byfield should excel at. Those two are great guys to learn from, I would wait a year though, but we shall see. I am really excited about his talent, if he puts it all together he will be a dominant player and I think an exciting talent to watch. I hope it works out, he does need to play simple more often, but I think he is really close to exploding, felt the same way about Draisaitl back in the day.

Same. I had Byfield as #1.
But he wasn't #1 in NHL readiness. It was clear his game was still very, very raw.
I'd actually send Byfield to Europe for a year instead of juniors.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Same. I had Byfield as #1.
But he wasn't #1 in NHL readiness. It was clear his game was still very, very raw.
I'd actually send Byfield to Europe for a year instead of juniors.

I actually don't really disagree with that. I think he needs to play vs. men to get used to his body/size.

 

[ponder]

Far from locked in, but for the first skate he was the 4C:



Obviously, he is the youngest guy on the team, but if he does end up in this role ... not great for a 2nd overall pick in his D+1 season.

 

[bsu]

He has never been good in best vs best tournaments, but he has also been so young compared to the field. He will be just fine once he grows into his body.