Prospect Info: 2020 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[Rorschach]

Is Byfield a 1C?

He is on the development path to true 2-way 1C. But he’s still one year away from fully developing due to his age. Laf may play in the NHL next year but I still need to see Byfield dominate the WJC for Canada next year like Laf did this year. But that is in the future.

I wish he could make the NHL this year, sheltered and tutored by Kopitar but he’s probably still a junior player.

That’s the risk and the price you pay...he still has non-NHL stuff to accomplish; but there’s a chance when all’s said and done, next year’s Byfield might EXCEED this year’s Lafreniere as a prospect.

Byfield will take longer; but he may have an even higher ceiling.

 

[Bandit]

Cheers to another year of HFBoards being just absolute trash under any amount of increased load

I dunno, I'm finally seeing some of the foot pain ads that @LT Dan has been raving about...

 

[ibleedkings]

Stutzle reminds me of Ziggy. We need skill and our center depth is very good even with an aging Kopi.

 

[Lt Dan]

I dunno, I'm finally seeing some of the foot pain ads that @LT Dan has been raving about...

Was she hot?

 

[Rorschach]

Was she hot?

She tasted like cigarettes.

 

[LAKings88]

No complaints. What a huge boost in the draft. Kings call their shot at #2.

I like the creativity and excitement of Stutzle but I think LA goes with Byfield.

Happy with either.

 

[Little Psycho]

Lol SJ

 

[johnjm22]

Kings need to take BPA and move on. It's likely going to be Byfield

Disagree. I think Byfield is closer to LaF, whereas I can see an argument for Rossi, Raymond, or Drysdale over Stutzle.

I don't know. Most scouting services I've seen have Stuzle ranked ahead of Byfield now. I was kind of surprised to see that.

Mckenzie said:
"Of the 10 scouts I talked to, 5 had Stuzle at #2 and 5 had Byfield at #2. Stuzle was no lower than #3 on anybody's list. In the case of Byfield a couple guys had him at #6"

He goes on to say: "A razor thin difference between the two...For me it's the big three at the top of the draft"

McKenzie explains how his draft rankings were determined past the No. 1 spot

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

It's a tough choice either way, frankly. But it's awesome that we have to make it when earlier we were trying to figure out what scraps were left at 7.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Hammond on a roll this evening too

 

[Matt13]

........only I didn’t say fudge.

 

[Ghetty Green]

The Kings just added the 2nd overall pick, best pick since Doughty, and then three 2nd round picks on top of the best prospect pool in the league. f*** Yeah!

At least 2 of those 2nds will be packaged for a 1st in the mid 20s

 

[SettlementRichie10]

#2 overall is so significant for this franchise. Cannot go wrong with either Byfield or Stuzle. Either player significantly accelerates the rebuild.

 

[Sol]

He is on the development path to true 2-way 1C. But he’s still one year away from fully developing due to his age. Laf may play in the NHL next year but I still need to see Byfield dominate the WJC for Canada next year like Laf did this year. But that is in the future.

I wish he could make the NHL this year, sheltered and tutored by Kopitar but he’s probably still a junior player.

That’s the risk and the price you pay...he still has non-NHL stuff to accomplish; but there’s a chance when all’s said and done, next year’s Byfield might EXCEED this year’s Lafreniere as a prospect.

Byfield will take longer; but he may have an even higher ceiling.

Has Stuzle shown more NHL tools?

I kinda want the player that's shown more NHL level play rather than one that's got raw skill but hasn't really put their game together.


I feel every time the Kings choose a projected player who has yet to show top end play ; we usually get screwed.

 

[cyclones22]

Geez, I'm freaking ecstatic the Kings got #2 overall. Honestly, I don't give an F about who ends up with #1 at this point. Worry about your own house first before conquering the neighborhood. I said this about a month ago, but one high end comparable for Byfield if he reaches his potential is Kopitar. I take that and run every single time. Byfield, Vilardi, Turcotte, Madden? Even if you move two of them to the wing, yes please!

The Redwings were the worst team in the league by a longshot. The Kings turned it up and whooped ass down the stretch. Both Vilardi and Mikey Anderson showed out well during that run and now we've got the #2 overall selection? Our choice of Byfield / Stutzle? It would've been nice to get the #1 overall just because we've never had it (coming into the league doesn't count - dude never played in the NHL), but there are almost always more than 1 star in a draft. The Kings can grab him at #2.

 

[johnjm22]

Does Stuzle not play center? He's listed as a C, LW on most sites.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

#2 overall is so significant for this franchise. Cannot go wrong with either Byfield or Stuzle. Either player significantly accelerates the rebuild.

Totally agree. This is exactly what we needed--a blue chip high end forward almost no matter what.

We've got more prospect depth than any franchise I can remember in recent history. It's about the top end. This helps solve that.

Has Stuzle shown more NHL tools?

I kinda want the player that's shown more NHL level play rather than one that's got raw skill but hasn't really put their game together.


I feel every time the Kings choose a projected player who has yet to show top end play ; we usually get screwed.

I'm not as sure he has as some others are.

He's playing in a league whose defense is as messy as juniors. He's an elite playmaker and forechecker with a motor, but he's got a muffin shot and only scored 7 goals against third-rate goalies. He's got more to learn than people are giving him credit for. I'm not sure he'll be able to dance NHL defenders who want to plow through him as easily as he will DEL defenders who are swinging their sticks around where Tim just was. And he goes hard to the net, which I love, but again easy against buttersoft defenders. Anyone touting Stutzle as more of a sure thing are overlooking a lot of questions on purpose.

Byfield has warts too of course. Inconsistency. Size, but not much use of it. Elite hands and speed to go with the size. Byfield isn't a 'project' in the sense people are thinking. He's already got insane hands and feet and size. People just want to see him develop some aggression both in use of size and in taking over games like he can. But he was what, a month away form being eligible for next year?

Really either of these guys COULD be better than Laf. Laf is #1 just because he's just about as sure a thing as it gets. Byfield and Stutzle are risky picks in comparison is all. But we're talking about the #2 and #3 picks overall, not about picking Forbort at 15 or Brian Boyle or something. I don't think you can go wrong either way.

 

[Bandit]

Geez, I'm freaking ecstatic the Kings got #2 overall. Honestly, I don't give an F about who ends up with #1 at this point. Worry about your own house first before conquering the neighborhood. I said this about a month ago, but one high end comparable for Byfield if he reaches his potential is Kopitar. I take that and run every single time. Byfield, Vilardi, Turcotte, Madden? Even if you move two of them to the wing, yes please!

The Redwings were the worst team in the league by a longshot. The Kings turned it up and whooped ass down the stretch. Both Vilardi and Mikey Anderson showed out well during that run and now we've got the #2 overall selection? Our choice of Byfield / Stutzle? It would've been nice to get the #1 overall just because we've never had it (coming into the league doesn't count - dude never played in the NHL), but there are almost always more than 1 star in a draft. The Kings can grab him at #2.

Yup no complaints at all here. Draft a man beast who is almost young enough for next years draft? Take it and RUN.

 

[Rorschach]

Has Stuzle shown more NHL tools?

I kinda want the player that's shown more NHL level play rather than one that's got raw skill but hasn't really put their game together.


I feel every time the Kings choose a projected player who has yet to show top end play ; we usually get screwed.

IMO, I feel Stutzle had his coming out party and should be NHL-ready or at least AHL-ready next year. Laf is like the next Rick Nash. Some here have compared Stützle to similar to Zigg Palffy, which I like, and I like right now with the clock ticking on Kopitar and Drew.

I won’t pick him at #2 though. I would trade down to pick him at 3/4. He’s not Canadian-enough to pick at 2, like how Kopitar turned out 2nd best in the Crosby draft but even in retrospect I don’t draft him at 2 if I can clearly get him later due to other teams’ bias.

 

[cyclones22]

Now I gotta find that Byfield interview on NHL radio where he talks about potentially being selected by the Kings. Anyone have a link?

 

[Cook24]

It’s too bad we don’t know who will get the #1. We could’ve traded them Carter for their playoff attempt and the #2 for their #1...

 

[The Lukeman]

To anybody thinking we will be drafting a defenseman at 2, we won't. Mark Yannetti said in the podcast that he will not be drafting by positional need. He stated in the Q/A he will always draft BPA and cited Thomas Hickey as a perfect example of why you don't draft by need.

IMO, Byfield is the way to go. He is some how underrated while he is at 2. He is a 1 year away player. He will have both a higher floor and ceiling than Stutlze. He is Massie at 6-4, plays a complete game, and has speed. He is compared to Malkin. Very rare breed of player.

I can also see why people like Stutzle, but Byfield was clearly the #2 pick in march when we stopped play. The only thing that can change is how deep you look at analytics, and all the analysts have Byfield being one of the best. For me there is no change from then to now.

 

[Sparky206]

At least you know either guy will be wanting to come to LA, because the other guy gets to go to f***ing Ottawa!

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Pretty damn excited, best news in a long time. Our pick of Byfield or Stutzle, fantastic

 

[MOGlLNY]

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