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

[Basilisk]

Too much $$$, unproven productivity.....

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Remember dumb shit like this when Blake is playing ELC 'slide' games with players.

It's not 4D chess. It's just shit.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Who cares if he walks away in 5 years; it's not like we'll be a competitive team at that point.

Trade him at the deadline and get good assets for the rebuild.

Respectfully... What an obnoxious outlook the day after the team signs a future star player to a team friendly deal for the next 5 years... You immediately jump to "who cares we're going to suck in 5 years anyways"????? And "let's just trade him at the deadline and rebuild"???

Some of these takes man......

This team will likely look drastically different in 5 years. Kopitar will be gone, Doughty will be gone, Danault will almost certainly be gone.

If Byfield becomes what many think/hope he will be (a 1st line center who can score at roughly a point per game pace or better), then the Kings will have a superstar 1C signed for just $6.25m - That's an absurdly good contract and a real real good player you can build around. And if Byfield is really that good, they'll extend him well before he gets to free agency because he will literally be the face of the franchise in this scenario (admittedly yes, that contract would likely be quite large).

IF the Kings do suck in 4-5 years and it's looking likely that Byfield isn't going to want to stay, they'll trade him for an absolutely absurd return.

Look I would've preferred either a cheaper bridge deal or a more expensive 8 year deal but let's not act like this contract is the end of the world... It's essentially guaranteed to be a steal of a contract for all 5 years of its term... That's never a bad thing.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Respectfully... What an obnoxious outlook the day after the team signs a future star player to a team friendly deal for the next 5 years... You immediately jump to "who cares we're going to suck in 5 years anyways"????? And "let's just trade him at the deadline and rebuild"???

Some of these takes man......

This team will likely look drastically different in 5 years. Kopitar will be gone, Doughty will be gone, Danault will almost certainly be gone.

If Byfield becomes what many think/hope he will be (a 1st line center who can score at roughly a point per game pace or better), then the Kings will have a superstar 1C signed for just $6.25m - That's an absurdly good contract and a real real good player you can build around. And if Byfield is really that good, they'll extend him well before he gets to free agency because he will literally be the face of the franchise in this scenario (admittedly yes, that contract would likely be quite large).

IF the Kings do suck in 4-5 years and it's looking likely that Byfield isn't going to want to stay, they'll trade him for an absolutely absurd return.

Look I would've preferred either a cheaper bridge deal or a more expensive 8 year deal but let's not act like this contract is the end of the world... It's essentially guaranteed to be a steal of a contract for all 5 years of its term... That's never a bad thing.

You won’t be building around him at 6m. That’s the point.

It’s not genius to lock up a potential superstar for nearly assured black hole years.

 

[Papa Mocha 15]

Wow, everyone around here is like the girlfriend you can never make happy. Jesus. At least he didn't ask for a trade.

 

[tigermask48]

Wow, everyone around here is like the girlfriend you can never make happy. Jesus. At least he didn't ask for a trade.

Almost would've preferred that. Then it would make the Kings move him for future assets that help the team in 5 years, and at the same time face reality that this team is not a contender and barely a playoff team.

 

[unicornpig]

That is how restricted free agency works.

didn't work with kopitar and doughty

Wow, everyone around here is like the girlfriend you can never make happy. Jesus. At least he didn't ask for a trade.

you must be new to these boards haha

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

You won’t be building around him at 6m. That’s the point.

It’s not genius to lock up a potential superstar for nearly assured black hole years.

I guess I just wouldn't be so sure about these being black hole years - Especially if Byfield makes the jump many of us believe he will.

Let's just say over the next 2 seasons Byfield becomes that guy - an 80+ point 1st line center who can drive his own line, play solid defensively, play in all situations, etc etc..... If the Kings have a player like that at 1C for a couple more years signed to just $6.25m, it's not crazy to think they could fill out the rest of the roster with solid talent and put themselves in contention. A lot can change in a couple years.

• If Byfield doesn't become that player, then I agree these next 5 years will be bleak... But having a star 1st line center signed to $6.25m can go a longggggggg way in helping to create a competitive roster

Clarke is also a big wildcard in this scenario - If he ends up being a star offensive d-man who can put up 60+ points a season, the Kings will actually be in really good shape.

It really all just comes down to Byfield and Clarke for the Kings. If both players end up being stars, the Kings have a 1C and 1D to build around (and with Byfield's extension, they'd have that 1C signed to a ridiculously reasonable cap hit for at least a couple seasons). Maybe Greentree hits too and they have a 1st line winger to compliment those guys. Maybe Portillo or one of the other goalie prospects hits and they end up with a legit 1A starting goalie. Then you also have the management situation - Barring a DEEP playoff run over the next season or two, there's no shot Blake remains as GM - that could also throw things for a loop and lead to significant changes.

Again, there's a lotttt that can change over the next couple years here. And for that reason, it just seems silly to me to claim with any amount of certainty that these next 5 years (!!!) are destined to be a total waste.

 

[Statto]

You won’t be building around him at 6m. That’s the point.

It’s not genius to lock up a potential superstar for nearly assured black hole years.

They’ll build around him if his play warrants it, if he hits 80pts next year for example it’s then probably his team. If he’s a 2nd line c that doesn’t want to re-sign it’s a very tradeable contract, that’d net a great return.

I agree it’s not a genius deal either. In any of the scenarios there’s pros and cons. The way most of us feel about Blake it was either be too much AAV for for 8 years, not enough term for a bridge or complaining about the halfway house we have. Most of us were going to focus on the negative aspects, which to be clear I did also. I’ve been able to step back and see the positives also.

It may also help lock up Spence to something decent, which whilst it should be a secondary consideration it shouldn’t be ignored. We also have zero visibility on the QB camps asks, for all we know it could be a win to get to where we are at.

I’m 60/40 on the deal, which might shift slightly either way based on what happens with Spence.

 

[BaileyFan]

Respectfully... What an obnoxious outlook the day after the team signs a future star player to a team friendly deal for the next 5 years... You immediately jump to "who cares we're going to suck in 5 years anyways"????? And "let's just trade him at the deadline and rebuild"???

Some of these takes man......

This team will likely look drastically different in 5 years. Kopitar will be gone, Doughty will be gone, Danault will almost certainly be gone.

If Byfield becomes what many think/hope he will be (a 1st line center who can score at roughly a point per game pace or better), then the Kings will have a superstar 1C signed for just $6.25m - That's an absurdly good contract and a real real good player you can build around. And if Byfield is really that good, they'll extend him well before he gets to free agency because he will literally be the face of the franchise in this scenario (admittedly yes, that contract would likely be quite large).

IF the Kings do suck in 4-5 years and it's looking likely that Byfield isn't going to want to stay, they'll trade him for an absolutely absurd return.

Look I would've preferred either a cheaper bridge deal or a more expensive 8 year deal but let's not act like this contract is the end of the world... It's essentially guaranteed to be a steal of a contract for all 5 years of its term... That's never a bad thing.

He will be traded during this contract. Year 5 has a M-NTC so it seems like Year 4 is the sweet spot to sell high on him with retention and get a haul for a rebuild with Kopi and Doughty gone.

There was never any path forward for Byfield to be a centerpiece on a contending Kings team in the future. Hard to really care about the specifics of the contract when trading him for assets was always going to be the best thing for both parties. At least now it looks like that will likely happen at some point and we get a good AAV in the meantime.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

He will be traded during this contract. Year 5 has a M-NTC so it seems like Year 4 is the sweet spot to sell high on him with retention and get a haul for a rebuild with Kopi and Doughty gone.

There was never any path forward for Byfield to be a centerpiece on a contending Kings team in the future. Hard to really care about the specifics of the contract when trading him for assets was always going to be the best thing for both parties. At least now it looks like that will likely happen at some point and we get a good AAV in the meantime.

Lmaoooooo ok....

The way people on these boards claim things like this with such certainty never ceases to baffle me

 

[bland]

Wow, everyone around here is like the girlfriend you can never make happy. Jesus. At least he didn't ask for a trade.

Yup, and in 4 years everyone with posts like this will be handwringing and cursing the deal just like ALL the other calm-downers do after every one of Blake's mistakes that they blow off at the time.

This is going to be a major problem. Look at the big picture here. The next two seasons mean nothing, it's just a speed bump slowing down progress. There is no success to have here with this business model. This contract just kicked a can down road, right in front of an oncoming bus.

The reasons why the Kings have been abject failures since 2014 aren't just short term errors of judgement like Edmundson, it's the longterm problematic planning that makes routine issues into major holes. This was a completely unnecessary contract that creates an unnecessary difficulty in a few years.

But great, the difference between a quality deal that provides long-term certainty or a short-term deal that buys time while retaining leverage is just enough cap room to bring in a Sprong type. What good does that do anybody?

It's bad business.

 

[FSL KINGS]

Yup, and in 4 years everyone with posts like this will be handwringing and cursing the deal just like ALL the other calm-downers do after every one of Blake's mistakes that they blow off at the time.

This is going to be a major problem. Look at the big picture here. The next two seasons mean nothing, it's just a speed bump slowing down progress. There is no success to have here with this business model. This contract just kicked a can down road, right in front of an oncoming bus.

The reasons why the Kings have been abject failures since 2014 aren't just short term errors of judgement like Edmundson, it's the longterm problematic planning that makes routine issues into major holes. This was a completely unnecessary contract that creates an unnecessary difficulty in a few years.

But great, the difference between a quality deal that provides long-term certainty or a short-term deal that buys time while retaining leverage is just enough cap room to bring in a Sprong type. What good does that do anybody?

It's bad business.

After the PL sign & dump, why would Byfield commit to a contract that could see him dumped anywhere? Everyone celebrated moving PL, but there are consequences.

 

[Papa Mocha 15]

I don't like the direction the team is going either but to just continue to trade away any talent does nothing since the next action is to draft the next wrong player for the organization and I'd rather not make that mistake under the same decision makers that got us here. I think the deal is fair considering where LA is at. It gives them flexibility in case it goes belly up but also gives him room to perform and build around. I think it's fair, not my favorite, but he was arguably one of the more dynamic players this past year.

Playing Long Ball,-The best solution is to remove management and start with someone who has a concrete vision for the orginization but that's not going to happen. The acting GM has to continue to do business and I'm just glad he didn't overpay for it. But the attitude of wasted years or why do anything at all is an odd argument for some to make since the GM's job is to fill the roster. He's making decisions and maybe someone out there is learning from them, but the whole why bother approach doesn't apply since the team is continuing to evolve. It will either mean Blakes job if it's in the wrong direction eventually or they'll do better the next round. But arguing for a tear down and rebuild, might as well do it now approach has been answered- ownership already decided that's not going to happen so signings like this become the next logical step. I'd rather accelerate the process until Blake's eventual firing but everything has to run its course. At least the next GM will have a structure or trade pieces to work with.

Someone around here recently said, the most dangerous think is a GM with money to spend. Never heard that one before but I thought it was pretty intelligent and considering what just happened with PLD, Blake might have learned one thing this last season.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

To be clear, I’m not saying Byfield can be the 1C. I’m saying that if he can’t be the 1C, we are f***ed.

This has been my mantra for three years running now.

We needed one of Byfield, Turcotte, or Vilardi to become impact players for the team to be successful.

Vilardi broke out but was traded.

Turcotte has yet to do anything at the pro level.

So now that leaves Byfield. If he does NOT become a legitimate #1 center, the Blake years go from “embarrassing failure” to “unmitigated disaster.”

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Kid's a beauty. Seems very excited to move back to center and potentially play with Fiala. Also seems like he genuinely wants to be a King long term (although of course things can change and sure, he might just be saying the 'right' things).

Personally... I think this guy's going to be a problem for the league next season

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

They’ll build around him if his play warrants it, if he hits 80pts next year for example it’s then probably his team. If he’s a 2nd line c that doesn’t want to re-sign it’s a very tradeable contract, that’d net a great return.

I agree it’s not a genius deal either. In any of the scenarios there’s pros and cons. The way most of us feel about Blake it was either be too much AAV for for 8 years, not enough term for a bridge or complaining about the halfway house we have. Most of us were going to focus on the negative aspects, which to be clear I did also. I’ve been able to step back and see the positives also.

It may also help lock up Spence to something decent, which whilst it should be a secondary consideration it shouldn’t be ignored. We also have zero visibility on the QB camps asks, for all we know it could be a win to get to where we are at.

I’m 60/40 on the deal, which might shift slightly either way based on what happens with Spence.

My point wasn't you don't build around him because of him, my point was you CANT build around him because you purged the org of reasonable supporting assets.

Let's pretend Byfield is a 1C and Clarke is a top pairing D; there are no ELC kids left to fill any of the roles and we've been drafting in the black hole for all eternity by that point. Kopitar and Doughty are gone, you're left with aging Fiala and Kempe and Anderson, while all the other teams have reloaded entirely and are ready to pass you. You never passed the Oilers who you foolishly tried to compete with, and the teams that committed to a rebuild are now already better than you.

 

[johnjm22]

By the time Byfield and Clarke hit their primes, the Kings won't have enough of a supporting cast around them to be a true contender.

 

[BigKing]

This has been my mantra for three years running now.

We needed one of Byfield, Turcotte, or Vilardi to become impact players for the team to be successful.

Vilardi broke out but was traded.

Turcotte has yet to do anything at the pro level.

So now that leaves Byfield. If he does NOT become a legitimate #1 center, the Blake years go from “embarrassing failure” to “unmitigated disaster.”

I've been saying that he needed to be a stud in his D+2--D+3 at worst--or the win with 11/8 plan is doomed.

Well, he became an impact player--but not a "stud"--in his D+4 but while playing wing. Once it was evident he wasn't going to be a superstar fast enough, it meant that Clarke needed to be an impact player quickly as well. Here we are with the talk of him having a full-time roster spot in his D+4 season.

You can't have this win now mantra and just slow boil the f*** out of your two most talented prospects. They pissed away Byfield's ELC and have done the same with Clarke. Worst part is that it feels like it is done purposefully so they can do a second contract that isn't potentially a max deal, which makes the instant 8x8 for PLD even more bonkers.

 

[DoktorJeep]

I love to criticize Rob Blake, but I can’t find too much fault with this deal for the team. Just going by comparables, QB left money on the table. The biggest downside for the team is walking him to UFA. But five years is better than 2 bridge deals that get you to the same spot. There is some benefit to saving an additional negotiation if he pops the next 2-3 years.

What I like is this makes it simpler to project the roster. With Dubois gone, QB is our highest paid C after Kopitar’s deal is up. And we know he’s under contract for the rest of Kopitar and Danault’s deals.

And what I like most is his deal is a good value whether the team is good or not. He’s positioned well to take the top minutes if he out produces his team mates. The excuse is removed about needing to shelter him. Jim Hiller can’t play other guys over him because QB is getting paid.

We know the team isn’t a pure meritocracy so it’s better to give everyone zero excuses for not giving QB the minutes. This season he might realistically take over as 1C. And long term, we may compare this to MacKinnon’s last deal in terms of massive surplus value.

Rob Blake isn’t a genius here. QB earned this. Just thank Jah that Blake didn’t find a way to truly screw this up so far. Of course if QB is given the Dubois treatment this season and there is no plan to maximize him, then we’ll have to revisit things.

 

[BigKing]

I also do think that Byfield loves it here. Low pressure in the media and the Kings have been pumping his tires ever since he was drafted. He also has to love how the team really leaned into feeding him the puck in the last game of the year so he could get his bonus.

 

[Kudelski37]

Hiller can’t play other guys over him because QB is getting paid.

This season he might realistically take over as 1C.

The first statement is clearly false since Hiller played PLD on the 3rd and 4th lines while being the second highest paid King last season...actual salary, not aav.

The second statement I think is likely true since QB carried the first line for large portions of last season. The first line, particularly Kopitar, did not look too good the previous season (22-23) before QB was added at wing. I hope Turcotte will successfully slot into the wing next to Kopitar.

The season hinges on the play of guys drafted from 2019+ and the play of the goalies.

 

[kingsfanman]

It seems like a good deal. I'm fine with him doubling his salary on his next contract. Hopefully he will stay healthy and deliver on his potential.

 

[Schmooley]

The season hinges on the play of guys drafted from 2019+ and the play of the goalies.

It would be funny if Blake is depending on reclamation project goalies and guys he kept out the NHL and forced into minimum salaries like Thomas Turcotte and Clarke.
Shouldnt it hinge on the play of Kopitar Fiala Doughty Gavrikov Danault Edmundson Moore and Foegele? These are the guys Blake was happy to hand over the kitchen sink to have.
Kempe Byfield and Anderson make less than their peers but should be in the category of major responsibility now as well.

 

[bland]

I love to criticize Rob Blake, but I can’t find too much fault with this deal for the team. Just going by comparables, QB left money on the table. The biggest downside for the team is walking him to UFA. But five years is better than 2 bridge deals that get you to the same spot. There is some benefit to saving an additional negotiation if he pops the next 2-3 years.

What I like is this makes it simpler to project the roster. With Dubois gone, QB is our highest paid C after Kopitar’s deal is up. And we know he’s under contract for the rest of Kopitar and Danault’s deals.

And what I like most is his deal is a good value whether the team is good or not. He’s positioned well to take the top minutes if he out produces his team mates. The excuse is removed about needing to shelter him. Jim Hiller can’t play other guys over him because QB is getting paid.

We know the team isn’t a pure meritocracy so it’s better to give everyone zero excuses for not giving QB the minutes. This season he might realistically take over as 1C. And long term, we may compare this to MacKinnon’s last deal in terms of massive surplus value.

Rob Blake isn’t a genius here. QB earned this. Just thank Jah that Blake didn’t find a way to truly screw this up so far. Of course if QB is given the Dubois treatment this season and there is no plan to maximize him, then we’ll have to revisit things.

If his agent required a deal that ended as soon as he could he unrestricted, it would be incredibly naive to believe that he wasn't planning on using it to its fullest as leverage - even if the plan is to stay here all along.

This is yet another indication of just how poorly the franchise is being run. The one guy - and while I like Clarke I do feel that he is being a little overrated here - the one guy that MUST hit in order for any of this to amount to anything now has the ability to leave early in his prime.