Prospect Info: LAK Draft (2nd, 2020) C Quinton Byfield - Sudbury Wolves, OHL

[Raccoon Jesus]

Damn hope Turcotte is alright. Kid is made of fine china it seems.

We already knew he was going to miss tonight.

I'd much rather him take the time to heal rather than play through whatever nagging groin/knee thing is hampering him.

 

[mail]

Can't wait for him to terrorize teams. Plays like Malkin, I think he'll put of Getzlaf like numbers in his career though.

I love this prospect

 

[Lt Dan]

Can't wait for him to terrorize teams. Plays like Malkin, I think he'll put of Getzlaf like numbers in his career though.

I love this prospect

I love it when you send me checks or birthday cards. We need to talk about how many bills you send me though

 

[SFKingshomer]

His numbers are good considering the team he's on.

 

[KopitarFAN]

I guess their was a call today with OHL GMs, no updates.

At what point do they officially call it off? Hard to see the benefit of playing < 20 games and an abbreviated postseason, just to say the participated in a Memorial Cup.....with no fans.

 

[yankeeking]

I guess their was a call today with OHL GMs, no updates.

At what point do they officially call it off? Hard to see the benefit of playing < 20 games and an abbreviated postseason, just to say the participated in a Memorial Cup.....with no fans.

I think it has to do with draft eligibility and exposing them so the teams can see , that one of the reason they are considering moving/ delaying the draft is how it would put the WHL and OHL players at a disadvantage

 

[King'sPawn]

I think it has to do with draft eligibility and exposing them so the teams can see , that one of the reason they are considering moving/ delaying the draft is how it would put the WHL and OHL players at a disadvantage

I get it, but many of these kids will likely be unprepared. Even with a good diet and working out, they'll look lousy with rushed or no training camp. Is it fair to scout and assess them based on that?

 

[BigKing]

I've watched every game since the first Gulls game. It's not all roses but he is more of a long-term play:

- The hockey IQ criticisms do seem warranted. You hope that he learns that he can't just do silly shit that worked at lower levels.

- The -11 is actually pretty telling. I know the goaltending hasn't been great but they also give up horrible chances against that do get saved so it all kind of washes. That hard backchecking and good defensive play from the WJC are not as evident but I think that is a reflection of how he was trying to play a conservative game at the WJC v. here where he is trying to drive offense. Needs to learn how to balance both as there are too many times now where the puck is going the other way and he is gassed. Again...18 year old, conditioning off of a long layoff etc.

- 19 shots in 11 games is disgusting with the ice time he is getting. Cameron f***ing Gaunce has more shots than him. I really want to see him with the puck on his stick more and to look for his shot. It's hard to remember any wrist shots of his. Seriously. His shot was supposed to be an asset.

I do not like his deployment on the PP at the side of the net as a facilitator. Warts and all, have him run point as a pure development play or the half wall. This ancillary piece on the PP or just a big body for screens from a Durzi shot is a waste of time.

 

[Kingfan1967]

I think it has to do with draft eligibility and exposing them so the teams can see , that one of the reason they are considering moving/ delaying the draft is how it would put the WHL and OHL players at a disadvantage

If the WHL and OHL do resume for a 20 game season , they should let drafted players play in the AHL or overseas as they are right now , this lets draft eligible players to have max exposure .

 

[KopitarFAN]

If the WHL and OHL do resume for a 20 game season , they should let drafted players play in the AHL or overseas as they are right now , this lets draft eligible players to have max exposure .

I think so, the WHL started last week, and the OHL is probably April 1st at the earliest, and that's if they came out today and said "go", between 14-day isolation and short training camp.

 

[YP44]

If the WHL and OHL do resume for a 20 game season , they should let drafted players play in the AHL or overseas as they are right now , this lets draft eligible players to have max exposure .

agreed, one main point of the CHL this year is to showcase players for the draft

 

[apocalypse]

I've watched every game since the first Gulls game. It's not all roses but he is more of a long-term play:

- The hockey IQ criticisms do seem warranted. You hope that he learns that he can't just do silly shit that worked at lower levels.

- The -11 is actually pretty telling. I know the goaltending hasn't been great but they also give up horrible chances against that do get saved so it all kind of washes. That hard backchecking and good defensive play from the WJC are not as evident but I think that is a reflection of how he was trying to play a conservative game at the WJC v. here where he is trying to drive offense. Needs to learn how to balance both as there are too many times now where the puck is going the other way and he is gassed. Again...18 year old, conditioning off of a long layoff etc.

- 19 shots in 11 games is disgusting with the ice time he is getting. Cameron f***ing Gaunce has more shots than him. I really want to see him with the puck on his stick more and to look for his shot. It's hard to remember any wrist shots of his. Seriously. His shot was supposed to be an asset.

I do not like his deployment on the PP at the side of the net as a facilitator. Warts and all, have him run point as a pure development play or the half wall. This ancillary piece on the PP or just a big body for screens from a Durzi shot is a waste of time.

Two way players are overrated. Let the kid play run n gun offense.

 

[YP44]

Two way players are overrated. Let the kid play run n gun offense.

what! Fully disagree. what makes Kopitar elite is his defensive play. Richards was a stud because of it too.

 

[BigKing]

Two way players are overrated. Let the kid play run n gun offense.

The problem is that he hasn't looked all that great just "running and gunning" either. 19 shots in 11 games isn't much gunning and his running has been akin to a football running back with poor vision that runs into his own linemen.

The size and speed is there but the critique's of his game (IQ, doesn't use his size, lack of good cycle game) have been on display. That said, it has been a few WJC games and 11 games plus pre-season of AHL since he's been drafted so it isn't expected that he would fix all of this by now. The lack of shots and dangerous chances is definitely a disappointment so far no matter how you slice it.

 

[Herby]

what! Fully disagree. what makes Kopitar elite is his defensive play. Richards was a stud because of it too.

We never really saw elite two-way Richards in LA. He wasn't terrible his first season in the defensive zone, but the metrics were pretty far off from his Selke caliber days in Philly. By year two it was clearly a developing problem , year three and four he was one of the worst defensive forwards in the league. Stoll and Carter, who are never going to be mistaken for Patrice Bergeron were clearly better.

As for QB, lets make sure he gets there offensively before trying to mold him into a two-way guy. Kopitar was not a two-way stud his first few years in the league, but he worked hard, was well coached and developed into one of the best.

I also agree with a lot of what BigKing said, I think it's fair to have expected a bit more domination from him at the AHL level than has been shown. It's not a huge concern, but it will be if he doesn't make the Kings out of camp next year, if he's back in the OHL in October that is going to raise some red flags.

 

[DoktorJeep]

It’s funny, from what I understood before the draft, the knocks on QB were his skating and hockey IQ. Watching him play with the Reign, those look like his best attributes on the ice. Especially his straight line skating agility. And I’ve been impressed by his decision making in the offensive zone. He’s always around the puck, maintaining possession with multiple defenders on him. He’s got his head up looking for teammates.

There’s a lot to like from an evaluation perspective. I hope the Kings call him up to the NHL. His development will get zero benefit from junior games, including playoffs.

 

[YP44]

It’s funny, from what I understood before the draft, the knocks on QB were his skating and hockey IQ. Watching him play with the Reign, those look like his best attributes on the ice. Especially his straight line skating agility. And I’ve been impressed by his decision making in the offensive zone. He’s always around the puck, maintaining possession with multiple defenders on him. He’s got his head up looking for teammates.

There’s a lot to like from an evaluation perspective. I hope the Kings call him up to the NHL. His development will get zero benefit from junior games, including playoffs.

If he goes to Junior and does not dominate he will feel a shit load of pressure. Blake needs to be protective of that.

 

[VILARGOD]

It’s funny, from what I understood before the draft, the knocks on QB were his skating and hockey IQ. Watching him play with the Reign, those look like his best attributes on the ice. Especially his straight line skating agility. And I’ve been impressed by his decision making in the offensive zone. He’s always around the puck, maintaining possession with multiple defenders on him. He’s got his head up looking for teammates.

There’s a lot to like from an evaluation perspective. I hope the Kings call him up to the NHL. His development will get zero benefit from junior games, including playoffs.

I agree, I don't think his hockey IQ is as bad as others are making it sound in this thread, he also wins alot of puck battles with multiple AHL defenders on him which has been impressive. I can agree with the sentiment that I want him to shoot more, and have been underwhelmed because his shot was supposed to be one of his assets. Honestly I'm not overly worried. Apparently it was reported recently the Kings are losing absolutely no sleep over the Stutzle vs Byfield even with Stutzle performing decently in the NHL.

I won't lie though, sometimes I wonder if Christian Ruutu was right (He wanted Stutzle over Byfield)

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I agree, I don't think his hockey IQ is as bad as others are making it sound in this thread, he also wins alot of puck battles with multiple AHL defenders on him which has been impressive. I can agree with the sentiment that I want him to shoot more, and have been underwhelmed because his shot was supposed to be one of his assets. Honestly I'm not overly worried. Apparently it was reported recently the Kings are losing absolutely no sleep over the Stutzle vs Byfield even with Stutzle performing decently in the NHL.

I won't lie though, sometimes I wonder if Christian Ruutu was right (He wanted Stutzle over Byfield)

It's been 20 pro games of scoring at a 50 point pace vs. Byfield developing, pretty much exactly what everyone thought it would be.

No one rethinks their draft at this point.

 

[crassbonanza]

It’s funny, from what I understood before the draft, the knocks on QB were his skating and hockey IQ. Watching him play with the Reign, those look like his best attributes on the ice. Especially his straight line skating agility. And I’ve been impressed by his decision making in the offensive zone. He’s always around the puck, maintaining possession with multiple defenders on him. He’s got his head up looking for teammates.

There’s a lot to like from an evaluation perspective. I hope the Kings call him up to the NHL. His development will get zero benefit from junior games, including playoffs.

I think his straight line speed was always considered a plus attribute. The knock on his skating was about his lateral agility, which is mostly because he is so big.

 

[Statto]

I also agree with a lot of what BigKing said, I think it's fair to have expected a bit more domination from him at the AHL level than has been shown.

I’m not surprised at all. He’s slotted into a very inexperienced AHL team, it’s not like a rookie going into a side surrounded by experience. It’s a completely different dynamic than we’d usually see.

Of course it would awesome if he went on a scoring tear but I’m not worried because I don’t know what he is focusing on from a development standpoint. It looks to me that he’s focusing on things like structure and his board play, the latter on which has led to a couple of recent assists. His body positioning seems better, in terms of things like puck protection. However that’s just my perception.

I really don’t care how well Stützle is or isn’t doing, because Byfield will become the guy the Kings roster gets built around. Stützle will bag plenty of points, whereas Byfield will get points and spearhead the franchise.

 

[VILARGOD]

It's been 20 pro games of scoring at a 50 point pace vs. Byfield developing, pretty much exactly what everyone thought it would be.

No one rethinks their draft at this point.

And all I was repeating was what was reported. I am aware it's too early to truly compare the players.

 

[Eagle Fang]

The problem is that he hasn't looked all that great just "running and gunning" either. 19 shots in 11 games isn't much gunning and his running has been akin to a football running back with poor vision that runs into his own linemen.

The size and speed is there but the critique's of his game (IQ, doesn't use his size, lack of good cycle game) have been on display. That said, it has been a few WJC games and 11 games plus pre-season of AHL since he's been drafted so it isn't expected that he would fix all of this by now. The lack of shots and dangerous chances is definitely a disappointment so far no matter how you slice it.

I was one of the biggest critics of Byfield from the WJCs and I disagree with most of this. After the tournament my expectation of him in the AHL were low, but almost every game he shows instances of why he was so highly touted.

To me he is the best Reign forward at the moment though an argument could be made for Kupari. Of course he makes mistakes and plays like an 18 year old at times. But given the fact in any other year he wouldn't even be there says a lot in terms of what he's done so far. He's like a train when he carries the puck in to the offensive zone. Speed, power and agility. More often than not he's able to gain entry and most of the time is the guy guy tasked with zone entry on the PP. He makes effective short passes which help with moving the puck up ice and his play making overall is above average. He's slowly starting to use his size more, and a great example was in the last game vs the Gulls when he beat 2 guys and made that back pass to whoever it was that created the outnumbered attack down low which in turn led to a goal.

I also disagree on his cycle game. Compared to the WJCs, his cycle game is night and day. In the WJC it seemed like every board play or cycle pass either went to the opposing player or no one at all. He was horrible in the tournament and it was so blatantly clear I think I even brought it up in one of my posts at the time. In the AHL, he's been much, much better; 10x better.

The only thing I'd agree with is that he definitely should shoot more.

I like what I'm seeing from Byfield and I understand the fact that he's far from polished. He was deemed more of a project / long-term development player and he's holding his own and doing well in a league he's not meant to be in on a shit ass team. 'Disappointment' is the last word I'd used to describe Byfield right now. And if that is how you feel about Byfield, I can't imagine what you think about Turcotte, Kaliyev, Madden, Thomas and Fagemo because in my opinion, he's played better than all of them.

 

[Herby]

I’m not surprised at all. He’s slotted into a very inexperienced AHL team, it’s not like a rookie going into a side surrounded by experience. It’s a completely different dynamic than we’d usually see.

Of course it would awesome if he went on a scoring tear but I’m not worried because I don’t know what he is focusing on from a development standpoint. It looks to me that he’s focusing on things like structure and his board play, the latter on which has led to a couple of recent assists. His body positioning seems better, in terms of things like puck protection. However that’s just my perception.

I really don’t care how well Stützle is or isn’t doing, because Byfield will become the guy the Kings roster gets built around. Stützle will bag plenty of points, whereas Byfield will get points and spearhead the franchise.

I really don't dislike the kid, I think he is going to be a good NHL player but I think there is a real chance he gets traded, no fault of his own but I just don't think the Kings can wait for him to develop if it's going to be a slower development than most players taken that high. The Kings are just in such a bad spot with the huge age gap between Byfield and Co and AK and DD. Obviously something has to open up but Buffalo is such a disaster that I think Eichel may demand a trade this offseason, he won't say it now because it just adds to the mess and isn't fair to his teammates but I really think it's the absolute perfect fit for the Kings. And Buffalo would much rather send him west than send him across the state.

 

[No Name The Nameless]

From the 4 games that I've seen him play i believe he is thinking too much. When he does take the puck and push he doesn't appear to trust his ability to get around defenders.