Kings News: Byfield signs 5 year, $6.25M per extension

[tbrown33]

In a vacuum, the surplus value the Kings will theoretically accrue over the lifetime of the deal outweighs him hitting UFA status at 26. Because he will surely play above that AAV. However, it only fully makes sense that way if the Kings are real contenders in that five year window, and that is looking unlikely.

 

[FrozenKing18]

Happy to see that they got it done! I know there’s a couple people here that don’t believe Q is a first line centre, but I definitely think he can, IF they deploy him there and have Kopitar mentor him. There’s potential there.

 

[Sol]

It’s like some of you guys don’t learn that most long term deals aren’t good. I’m perplexed people are complaining this deal isn’t long enough. Hes never played center and his health is a concern apparently yet you guys want more years? I remember a time people were bitching about Vilardi like some of the posters right now about his health yet you guys are crying about deal length. Ok

 

[tny760]

yikes

the surface numbers are totally fine but yeah, that's literally drawn up for him to walk away from this team

blake doing exactly what an agent wants again?

 

[MonkeysUncle]

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Not sure how I feel, like the cap hit, but th eww fact he hits ufa so quickly. Well hopefully by then new management group with better moves he wont even think of leaving, but I know still 5 years away

 

[SmytheKing]

I thought this would have been the first response.

Byfield will be hitting UFA before his age 27 season, on a team that traded and/or whiffed on almost everyone taken around his age that was supposed to come up with him (Clarke will likely be the only win).

Kopitar, Doughty and Danault will be gone
Kempe will be 32
Fiala will be 32

Seems like a prime situation for a player to walk away from what will likely be bad situation.

But give Blake credit, the contract hit is very small, it helps the Kings in this near impossible task if winning in the next two years, and if Blake wants to move him before the end of the deal (after the "contending" window closes) the return would be very nice.

You're talking about dropping ~$25 million in cap space as well as an overall increase in the cap itself. I can't imagine they don't find a use for those dollars (hopefully with a new GM and team in place) to surround what we're all hoping Byfield becomes. Hell, the year Kopitar comes off the books is the same year McDavid is set to be a FA. The next year when Doughty comes off is Cale Makar. Obviously the Kings aren't getting both of them, but I'm sure Byfield could be encouraged to stay if they did.

I'm basically saying that A LOT can change in 5 years. It's a "fair" contract for both sides really. It's not ideal for either (Byfield could get a lot more money, Kings could get a lot more years), but it's done and both sides get a benefit.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

yikes

the surface numbers are totally fine but yeah, that's literally drawn up for him to walk away from this team

blake doing exactly what an agent wants again?

Yeah in a vacuum golden deal

For this team situation as created jesus christ blake

Like if you ever needed confirmation these guys were stupidly all in on winning now here it is

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Does anyone here know what the cap ceiling will be half a decade from now?

The current CBA will also expire in 2026.

Byfield took one for the team to get a bigger pay day when he's in his prime years at 26.

It's a fair trade off, and something they don't need to be concerned over until the summer of 2028.

 

[Herby]

Every move the Kings have made from July 2021 on has been geared towards winning a Stanley Cup while Kopitar and Doughty were still active, even if those deals could end up causing significant damage down the road.

This is just another one, if they win a SC it'll be great, if they don't it has a chance to end in disaster (like the trading of 1sts) if he bolts as an UFA while still in his prime.

 

[Gjwrams]

Good deal and about what I thought. I guessed 4yr at 6 mil. Who cares about the UFA stuff. If the Kings are good, he stays. If they stink, they will be rebuilding, and the new GM will already have dealt him. 5 years is eons from now. Shit, some of us might not even be around to see it. lol.

Next is Spence…….maybe?

 

[Sybil227]

NVM. Late to the party.

 

[SlimCharles]

Imagine acting like this is bad just because it takes him to UFA.

 

[johnjm22]

Terrible. I absolutely hate it.

You either set the deal to expire while he's still a RFA, or you buy up the max amount of UFA years possible. This deal does neither.

 

[SmytheKing]

Terrible. I absolutely hate it.

You either set the deal to expire while he's still a RFA, or you buy up the max amount of UFA years possible. This deal does neither.

The Kings need to sign Spence and Kaliyev still and have just under $3 million in cap space. You either get to trade both of them for futures and hope all your forwards and defensemen play 82 games or you get to buy those UFA years.

 

[Sol]

Imagine acting like this is bad just because it takes him to UFA.

Yup and how do people know Byfield didn’t want a bunch of years? People forget negotiations require two parties. It works for QB because if LA sucks which it probably does he will have made good money and he will go to a good team at UFA. It works for the Kings because Byfield hasn’t even shown a sliver of competency at center before they go balls deep on him for Center when he has no NHL experience at it. Any good experience.

This is a great deal and I think anyone arguing against this is arguing in bad faith because there’s no good argument maxing him out with his very limited center experience in the NHL. It’s stupidly risky.

 

[johnjm22]

The Kings need to sign Spence and Kaliyev still and have just under $3 million in cap space. You either get to trade both of them for futures and hope all your forwards and defensemen play 82 games or you get to buy those UFA years.

That's not correct.

Kings aren't going to carry all 5 of Rittich, Copley, Moverare, Englund, Burroughs.

It doesn't matter anyways. This shows poor planning. Byfield is the single most important player in the organization. If signing Foegle or Edmundson affected QB's deal negatively those guys should have never been signed.

 

[funky]

I hated the five years until I thought of it this way. If the kings are not a winning franchise in five years, they could get a bloody haul from him if they trade him with a year or two left on his contract. It would be a massive reboot at that point.

If things are going well and their winning, they will have the money to keep him happy and lock him up in LA for a long time after this deal at a big price.

A winning Culture and living at the beach would be hard to walk away from. Just need to get that winning culture.

 

[Telos]

It is what it is, the deal is a compromise either way. It guarantees Byfield a strong paycheck while he has the chance to solidify himself as a star and also the ultimate control over his fate is all ways and he can get away as fast as possible if everything implodes in LA. Then the Kings get him locked in for arguably great value assuming he continues his play and gets better at an ideal bridge deal to hopefully take over as the superstar on the team. Both sides got what they wanted, even though what the Kings want isn't possible...

 

[BaileyFan]

The Kings are going to have to blow this whole thing up within a few years anyway. If Byfield had theoretically signed for 4 years instead then he’d be a 2028 RFA who should be holding out and demanding a trade anyway from a team staring down a lengthy rebuild. The AAV is a steal for what he’ll provide in the meantime. I think best case scenario is he is traded for a haul in 2027 or 2028 when the rebuild begins in earnest.

Is it a shame that he’s likely not going to be a King one way or another past this current contract term? Yes, but that was always going to be true the instant Blake decided to win now and ensure QB’s prime would coincide with the team being a bottom feeder. This way, at least there’s the real possibility that QB could become the most valuable contract in the entire league within a few years.

 

[SmytheKing]

That's not correct.

Kings aren't going to carry all 5 of Rittich, Copley, Moverare, Englund, Burroughs.

It doesn't matter anyways. This shows poor planning. Byfield is the single most important player in the organization. If signing Foegle or Edmundson affected QB's deal negatively those guys should have never been signed.

I completely agree. But, they were signed and the kings had to deal with the consequences of those signings.

Also, Byfield would have to want to tie himself to that contract too. It’s not just what the kings want and, if everyone thinks the kings are going to be that bad in five years…Byfield and his camp certainly see that too.

 

[Balthazar]

If Byfield had theoretically signed for 4 years instead then he’d be a 2028 RFA who should be holding out and demanding a trade anyway from a team staring down a lengthy rebuild.

Demanding a trade after 4 years >>>>>>>>>> walking and signing with another team after 5 years

 

[DoktorJeep]

Good on Blake for not dragging this out. It’s an ok deal for the Kings and decent one for QB. I hope this means QB is our 2C. Walking him to UFA is the biggest negative for the team, but I’m not surprised that a half measure was executed at the conclusion.

 

[kingsboy11]

I think its fine, works for both sides. Kings don't usually let their star players make it free agency

 

[deaderhead28]

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Yikes! That's a lot for a 3rd line center.

 

[bland]

That part is baffling. He's going to be 26 when this contract expires! I hate that Rob made this just about the worst possible term.

He just put the team over a barrel in 5 years. A player, right on his prime gets to hit UFA on what will undoubtedly be a team in flux at the moment.

There is no reason to give on that, it's your only high ground as a GM. What an absolute idiot. Just dumb shittery at its finest. You really think $1.5 or $2 mil extra space for a few years is worth THAT risk?

This is the dumbest thing he has done to date.