Prospect Info: Quinton Byfield (2nd Overall 2020 Draft) Discussion part II

[David Lunch]

Your contract does slide if you play in the AHL. It only slides if you go back to junior.

Ahhh, thanks for pointing that out. Even knowing that, I would still prefer QB to play the vast majority of the year in the A, although knowing the contract slide thing opens me up to letting him come to the show 1/2 or 2/3 of the way into the season if he’s sustained a monster pace.

 

[Stimpythecat]

I am open to this past game being an aberration on faceoffs, but if it continues, other teams will simply put vets on him.

 

[kingsfan]

Ahhh, thanks for pointing that out. Even knowing that, I would still prefer QB to play the vast majority of the year in the A, although knowing the contract slide thing opens me up to letting him come to the show 1/2 or 2/3 of the way into the season if he’s sustained a monster pace.

If they send him down to the OHL to utilize the slide, they can't recall him until his OHL teams' season is done, which would typically be at best right before the NHL playoffs start, at worst around the second-third round of the playoffs (and he wouldn't be able to be recalled then as he wasn't on the team post-trade deadline IIRC).

 

[Sam]

Your contract doesn't slide if you play in the AHL. It only slides if you go back to junior.

Have the rules changed? Unless the rules have changed, the contract does slide for players Byfield's age, providing he doesn't play 10 NHL games. The following season, it would not.

See Slava Voynov's contract when he played for Manchester in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Slava Voynov Contract, Cap Hit, Salary and Stats - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I am open to this past game being an aberration on faceoffs, but if it continues, other teams will simply put vets on him.

Don't get me wrong, it will be an evolving work in progress, but he's ahead of the game, and of course they will because they have to deal with Kopitar and Danault otherwise haha.

 

[kingsfan]

Have the rules changed? Unless the rules have changed, the contract does slide for players Byfield's age, providing he doesn't play 10 NHL games. The following season, it would not.

See Slava Voynov's contract when he played for Manchester in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Slava Voynov Contract, Cap Hit, Salary and Stats - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

I do believe this has changed yes, I think it had something to do with guys in the minors having their contracts carry over for a long time (In Voynov's case, he'd be a five year pro before he came off the ELC).

 

[David Lunch]

If they send him down to the OHL to utilize the slide, they can't recall him until his OHL teams' season is done, which would typically be at best right before the NHL playoffs start, at worst around the second-third round of the playoffs (and he wouldn't be able to be recalled then as he wasn't on the team post-trade deadline IIRC).

For sure. Just to be clear, I think the worst thing for his development at this point is to go back to Juniors. Forgetting the whole contract sliding issue, I would still prefer him to play in the A (as in AHL) to gain confidence, strength, professional discipline to endure a long season and continue to prove it. I have no doubts he will achieve all of this, but I think it will be good for him experientially.

 

[Bandit]

Not knocking Byfield at all, but I wonder if I will live to see the Kings draft a kid that steps right into the league at 18, tear it up and win ROTY and becomes an immediate superstar. Would be pretty cool to see.

 

[David Lunch]

Not knocking Byfield at all, but I wonder if I will live to see the Kings draft a kid that steps right into the league at 18, tear it up and win ROTY and becomes an immediate superstar. Would be pretty cool to see.

Hopefully not for a while, since that implies us getting a 1st overall pick :p

 

[Yog S'loth]

I feel like we've just entered the era of when the first notes of desperation enter our voices, searching for positive things to say about Byfield. "OK, so he lost every faceoff, was a minus player, took only one shot, and looked lost out there... but he was 2nd on the team on some obscure advanced stat! That's... that's good, right? Right?"

Soon to be amped up with that German kid knocks in 30 goals for Ottawa this season while Byfield toils wherever he is.

I call it "Hickey syndrome".

 

[Bandit]

Hopefully not for a while, since that implies us getting a 1st overall pick :p

You never know, San Jose could trade us their unprotected 1st for Doughty when he's on his last leg.

 

[Schmooley]

I feel like we've just entered the era of when the first notes of desperation enter our voices, searching for positive things to say about Byfield. "OK, so he lost every faceoff, was a minus player, took only one shot, and looked lost out there... but he was 2nd on the team on some obscure advanced stat! That's... that's good, right? Right?"

Soon to be amped up with that German kid knocks in 30 goals for Ottawa this season while Byfield toils wherever he is.

I call it "Hickey syndrome".

If byfield got put on kopitars wing from day one and had 0 defensive responsibility and was on the #1 power play unit im sure the byfield tune would be different. The kings operate differently for better or worse. Time will tell.

 

[Kingfan1967]

Not knocking Byfield at all, but I wonder if I will live to see the Kings draft a kid that steps right into the league at 18, tear it up and win ROTY and becomes an immediate superstar. Would be pretty cool to see.

Doughty is as close as i want to get to that scenario

 

[cyclones22]

If byfield got put on kopitars wing from day one and had 0 defensive responsibility and was on the #1 power play unit im sure the byfield tune would be different. The kings operate differently for better or worse. Time will tell.

Stutzle had terrible possession statistics. His line had their brains kicked in on a nightly basis. As well as having one of the worst plus-minus ratings in the league. He was basically allowed to just do whatever he wanted regardless of how negative the outcome was. If all of our players had zero accountability then their offensive numbers might be a little different.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I feel like we've just entered the era of when the first notes of desperation enter our voices, searching for positive things to say about Byfield. "OK, so he lost every faceoff, was a minus player, took only one shot, and looked lost out there... but he was 2nd on the team on some obscure advanced stat! That's... that's good, right? Right?"

Soon to be amped up with that German kid knocks in 30 goals for Ottawa this season while Byfield toils wherever he is.

I call it "Hickey syndrome".

Regardless of the validity or likelihood of this future, this cannot happen. If Byfield busts, which means anything less than a productive 2nd line center in the NHL, this franchise is going to continue toiling away in the black hole until Kopitar retires and/or Doughty demands a trade.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Zegras with no points, a -2, and only 43% on the draw against the crappy Coyotes. That must make him a bust. Ducks fans should panic. Am I doing the sky is falling shtick right?

 

[kingsfan]

Zegras with no points, a -2, and only 43% on the draw against the crappy Coyotes. That must make him a bust. Ducks fans should panic. Am I doing the sky is falling shtick right?

Trade him to NYR for Georgiev, Lindgren and a 2nd and you'd ace it.

 

[Jericho111091]

Trade him to NYR for Georgiev, Lindgren and a 2nd and you'd ace it.

With how close to busting he is should probably make it a 4th instead of a 2nd

 

[Sol]

Not knocking Byfield at all, but I wonder if I will live to see the Kings draft a kid that steps right into the league at 18, tear it up and win ROTY and becomes an immediate superstar. Would be pretty cool to see.

I truly wonder that too. I think I kinda got spoiled with Doughty and Kopitar doing excellent right after they were drafted. Now when I see Byfield I just think of this meme.

I know a lot of people give him a lot of rope. But I don't see much in his game that suggests his ceiling is anything more than a good second line center.

Seeing Kopitar undress Pronger like that, man. You knew he was special.

Hopefully if the Kings bomb again, maybe we will get our true ace in the hole.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

I feel like we've just entered the era of when the first notes of desperation enter our voices, searching for positive things to say about Byfield. "OK, so he lost every faceoff, was a minus player, took only one shot, and looked lost out there... but he was 2nd on the team on some obscure advanced stat! That's... that's good, right? Right?"

Soon to be amped up with that German kid knocks in 30 goals for Ottawa this season while Byfield toils wherever he is.

I call it "Hickey syndrome".

Since living on the east coast makes it hard for me to stay up to listen, was there any indication anywhere that Byfield looked lost out there?

 

[AlphaBravo]

Even if we talk about the worst case scenario of Byfield being a bust, the Kings wont be doomed. We were fortunate to have drafted a lot of strong prospects. The odds of all of them being busts is pretty low.

 

[bland]

We discussed how Byfield was a longer-term development for months heading into his draft. It's no surprise that he isn't setting the world on fire, it was to be expected. He was never going to be a plug and play prospect despite being 2nd overall.

No, putting him on the wing isn't a good idea. Having him play 8-10 minutes a night isn't either. This is a slow boil development project that will need to be brought along incrementally to maximize his ability. Give him huge minutes in all the tough situations in the AHL, release him for the WJCs, and gauge his progress by quarters of the season, not week to week.

 

[kingsfan]

I agree with 'slow boil' development of prospects, but certain timeframes go along with certain draft positions. When you take a guy 2nd overall, 'slow' development still means he should be in the NHL within two years of being drafted in almost every situation, whereas a guy taken 22nd can easily be 4-5 years from being an NHL regular. I'm not saying I'm at all disappointed with his development and I do think the doom and gloom some are posting is way to early, but he still should be in the NHL on a regular basis playing 15+ minutes a night no later than one year from now.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Gentle reminder that this all looks eerily familiar right down to the people not-transparently pretending to tiptoe around the 'bust' word.

	Leon Draisaitl	Quinton Byfield
Age
16	Jungadler Mannheim (DNL): 35gp: 21g-35a-56p	OHL Sudbury Wolves: 64gp: 29g-32a-61p
17	WHL Prince Albert Raiders: 61gp: 21g-37a-58p	OHL Sudbury Wolves: 45gp: 32g-50a-82p
18	WHL Prince Albert Raiders: 64gp: 38g-67a-105p	AHL Ontario Reign: 32gp: 8g-12a-20p NHL LA Kings: 6gp: 0g-1a-1p
19	WHL Kelowna Rockets: 32GP: 19g-34a-53p EDM (NHL): 37GP, 2g-7a-9p
20	72gp, 19g-32a-51p
21	82gp, 29g-48a-77p
22	78gp: 25g-45a-70p
23	82gp: 50g-55a-105p
24	71gp: 43g-67a-110p

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[bland]

I agree with 'slow boil' development of prospects, but certain timeframes go along with certain draft positions. When you take a guy 2nd overall, 'slow' development still means he should be in the NHL within two years of being drafted in almost every situation, whereas a guy taken 22nd can easily be 4-5 years from being an NHL regular. I'm not saying I'm at all disappointed with his development and I do think the doom and gloom some are posting is way to early, but he still should be in the NHL on a regular basis playing 15+ minutes a night no later than one year from now.

The "should" here is the problem. That's an artificial set of expectations based on what other players have done in different circumstances. Byfield is very much a project and if you want him to be the player he could be, the "shoulds" need to be omitted entirely from the discussion.

This is going to take as long as it needs take. Byfield can score, but he isn't dynamic. Players with flashy skill sets arrive early and either evolve or disappoint. Byfield could be a 200 foot, dominant #1 center. That's why he was drafted 2nd overall. But that will take a lot of time as well as proper physical and mental development from both the organization and the player, and insisting he "should" be a regular by next year based on his draft position is doing him a disservice.

There are likely to be 7 or 8 players from the first round that hit before before Byfield. We knew that going in - he isn't the typical 2nd overall, he is a lottery ticket at the best type of player in hockey. That must be nurtured here, and it will take a lot of patience.