That was a messaging error, I meant 18 and doesnt change any single thing that was said
C Quinton Byfield (2020, 2nd, LAK) part III
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I have said Byfield's lack of success at the international level is a concern WELL before the draft lottery so no, I would not have a different tune if the Wings drafted him. A guy who can never bring his game to the next level is definitely a concern but also not calling him a bust. People saying they "aren't concerned" with his performance are being the ridiculous ones here.Words like massively, very poor, brutal are just ridiculous. Obviously I have seen nothing of the Hlinka but I have read he was doing more than fine there and he was a PPG there too. Last year he was barely 17 and perhaps he shouldnt even be there in the first place. This year he was neither brutal at the WJC.
IMO you are a complete troll if you act like that. If this guy was fallen into their laps, he would have had a different tune.
If you agree with this, well than you are no better.
Call me childish, but since LA drafted Byfield, his topics are filled with Rangers, Senators, Ducks and Red Wings fans.
Some here just can not give an opinion without overreacting or without an hidden agenda.
Amen brothers.
People are overreacting to the WJC, as usual. That said, it's not hard to see that there are non-trivial issues in Byfield's game.
The big one for me is that he doesn't seem to have very high-end problem-solving skills, especially in the o-zone. When he can't outpower or outskate his way out of a problem, he doesn't seem to have much in his bag of tricks, and often maneuvers himself into bad positions.
I don't have any problem imagining him become a PLD/Jeff Carter-type player in the NHL, a strong, reliable top 30 C in the league. Which is a good outcome, even for 2nd OA pick. My problem is with the idea that he has UNLIMITED POTENTIAL, that he could be a Malkin-type player. I just don't see it. There's more to "potential" than purely physical tools.
The big one for me is that he doesn't seem to have very high-end problem-solving skills, especially in the o-zone. When he can't outpower or outskate his way out of a problem, he doesn't seem to have much in his bag of tricks, and often maneuvers himself into bad positions.
I don't have any problem imagining him become a PLD/Jeff Carter-type player in the NHL, a strong, reliable top 30 C in the league. Which is a good outcome, even for 2nd OA pick. My problem is with the idea that he has UNLIMITED POTENTIAL, that he could be a Malkin-type player. I just don't see it. There's more to "potential" than purely physical tools.
Quinton has expectations as a number 2 overall pick. It’s clear he is not a finished project at this point. LA is fine with it.
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Arthur Morgan
Registered User
I dont find it concerning in the slightest. Justin Pogge should have been a star and we know how that turned out. he will be fine.
I dont find WJC or any of these tournaments to be enough sample size to take seriously. has Byfield ever been in a scoring role on one of these teams? till hes atleast in a top 6 role then we can start talking.
Has he not been one of the youngest players through his tournaments atleast on the only team that matters Team Canada?
Iv also heard he should have never even played last WJC. sounds pretty impressive he was able to win a spot given he just turned 17.
Dirtyf1ghter
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- Aug 7, 2019
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Every 18-year-olds aren't finished projects. I am one of those who ranked Byfield 3rd because he was a big center and he was younger than his competitors.
But in terms of level of play, I ranked him behind wingers (Raymond, Holtz), defenders (Drysdale), goalkeepers (Askarov) or players born in 2001 (Lundell, Rossi). He was 9th just ahead of Perfetti.
All were better than Byfield and still seem to be. When you take a less strong player, there is always the risk that he will stay behind the players who were better than him. If Byfield manages to be the 3rd best player in the 2020 draft it will be a big hit. But he can drop.
Not one tournament... ALL of them.
He was top 6 in both U17 and Hlinka and disappointed in both
Arthur Morgan
Registered User
hmm well thats an interesting take and all. I dont think it's still too much to worry about. we will see how LA develops. I think he will 100% be a Center in the NHL how good will depend on his development. Kopitar will help alot. we will see how he does next WJC where he will likely have a much higher role. these tournaments are fun and all, but dont mean all that much.
I still believe Skys the limit on Byfield.
Honestly doesn’t matter anymore. LA picked him for their own reasons. He seemed to be a polarizing pick even before the WJC. Hard to get a fair assessment of him but as said many times over the WJs are not the end all be all. This is one instance where it will be some time before a final judgement can be rendered. Gonna be exacerbating for Kings fans tho, but we are used to it.
I was gonna come here and bring a different point from the bust train following WJC but i see someone beated me to it ! There's a similar player I can't help but think of when i look at Byfield... PLD ! Not necessarily in terms of style of course there are some differences, but they were both big centers drafted in the top 3. PLD had a very underwhelming D+1 season in the Q, not just numbers wise but watching him... not scoring i a game, being almost invisible except when he would be overly physical because of his frustration. I failed to see the obvious dynamism other center prospects would show (eichels, barzal zegras etc). He legit looked lost sometimes at the WJC following his draft (remember a play where he was cruising along the Oline and bumped a CAN player about to enter for a good rush...) and hadnt the impact a top3 pick was expected to have. But he grew stronger, he got better at doing the little things and got confident playing with panarin after 20ish games on the wing. Now you have a great player that is good at everything and has great physical attributes to impose more and more his play! I feel that relates to byfield a lot in terms that sometimes hes doing th little things but you want more out of him. I cam definetly see him developing similarly, with a slightly different skillset.
Samsquanch
Raging Bull Squatch
Word.
As a Sens/Sudbury Wolves fan that wanted to draft Byfield, badly. I can only sympathize with you guys. Byfiled going to the Sens would have shaved a couple of years off of my life with the amount of debating/stress that was in store for me. The Sens are easy to take shots at...and unfortunately, so is Byfield....
Not that I wouldnt still be thrilled with us drafting Byfield, or that Im unsure of him being a major impact NHLer one day. But man-o-man Im glad that the Sens got Stuetzle as the "consolation or leftover" prize at pick #3. Its saved me so much grief, and more than a few grey hairs....
funky
Build around Byfield, not the vets
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How about we let the poor kid get into an NHL camp and let professionals assist the kid in his areas of weakness before throwing him out with the bath water.
He just turned 18, was a tall lanky kid going into the draft and people complained that he had holes in his defensive play, his slow processing of plays, and that he doesn’t seem engaged. Others say he used his physical domination against smaller opponents.
I will address the physicality first. He is/was not physically dominant. He was a tall skinny kid. Being tall isn’t physical. The kid trained with Gary Roberts over summer and put on 13 to 17 pounds depending on interviews. If he heads back to juniors this year if they have a season then I would expect him to use his new found strength and power to start physically asserting himself. A guy like Rossi who is a fire hydrant would have been physically more dominant than a string bean like Byfield last year.
I am encouraged by his defensive play, board play, and face off prowess at the WJC this year. He was put in a foreign role as a checker and did well. Hopefully it continues to develop.
The offense is there. He put up 2 points a game in JR with little to no help. As he builds muscle and strength and the Kings development staff teach him better positioning, better reads and routes it should continue to improve.
No there’s two kinds of computer. When he pleasantly surprised me with and one I do have worries with. The first one is coachability and willing to play hard each game. It looks like he does well with this one. The coaches commented how easy it was to coach him. He seem to be involved and engaged all the shifts but wasted energy going to the wrong areas or his linemates coughing up pucks or straight dump and chases. It was also very evident that he was getting tired very fast, but put it on 15 extra pounds and not skating in any type of game situation before the tournament, and missing the first bit of training camp didn’t help.
The second one is more of a nasty aggressive nature. Yes people want him to be Eric Lindros, but Lindros was 30 pounds heavier at the same age with a different mentality. As much as I would like to see Byfield run over players and play with a nasty edge I see him somewhere between a Kopitar type player that uses his physical gifts for puck protection and body position and a Carter player why can absolutely fly and use his speed and length to beat defenders and get to pucks first. Unfortunately like Carter it may not look like he’s trying as hard due to the fact that he cover so much ground without moving his feet a lot.
Sky is still the limit for this kid who is still growing physically, mentally, and has yet to see a professional development camp. I am very confident that the kings will drastically help his development. The kid played with the same tastic as a player that was 5’9 last year. Let’s let the pros have a crack at them first before we write him off.
He just turned 18, was a tall lanky kid going into the draft and people complained that he had holes in his defensive play, his slow processing of plays, and that he doesn’t seem engaged. Others say he used his physical domination against smaller opponents.
I will address the physicality first. He is/was not physically dominant. He was a tall skinny kid. Being tall isn’t physical. The kid trained with Gary Roberts over summer and put on 13 to 17 pounds depending on interviews. If he heads back to juniors this year if they have a season then I would expect him to use his new found strength and power to start physically asserting himself. A guy like Rossi who is a fire hydrant would have been physically more dominant than a string bean like Byfield last year.
I am encouraged by his defensive play, board play, and face off prowess at the WJC this year. He was put in a foreign role as a checker and did well. Hopefully it continues to develop.
The offense is there. He put up 2 points a game in JR with little to no help. As he builds muscle and strength and the Kings development staff teach him better positioning, better reads and routes it should continue to improve.
No there’s two kinds of computer. When he pleasantly surprised me with and one I do have worries with. The first one is coachability and willing to play hard each game. It looks like he does well with this one. The coaches commented how easy it was to coach him. He seem to be involved and engaged all the shifts but wasted energy going to the wrong areas or his linemates coughing up pucks or straight dump and chases. It was also very evident that he was getting tired very fast, but put it on 15 extra pounds and not skating in any type of game situation before the tournament, and missing the first bit of training camp didn’t help.
The second one is more of a nasty aggressive nature. Yes people want him to be Eric Lindros, but Lindros was 30 pounds heavier at the same age with a different mentality. As much as I would like to see Byfield run over players and play with a nasty edge I see him somewhere between a Kopitar type player that uses his physical gifts for puck protection and body position and a Carter player why can absolutely fly and use his speed and length to beat defenders and get to pucks first. Unfortunately like Carter it may not look like he’s trying as hard due to the fact that he cover so much ground without moving his feet a lot.
Sky is still the limit for this kid who is still growing physically, mentally, and has yet to see a professional development camp. I am very confident that the kings will drastically help his development. The kid played with the same tastic as a player that was 5’9 last year. Let’s let the pros have a crack at them first before we write him off.
I dont think it means he's a bust either but it is definitely a concern that he can't seem to raise his game when competition gets harder. Definitely something you hope (need) to see next season if hes not in the NHL
Frolov 6'3
Unregistered User
I dont need to name those. Your question is subjective, hence the discussion.
There really hasn't been any prospect who consistently disappointed to this level at every event.
Like I said it doesn't make him a bust but to say it isn't a big deal or concerning is just false
OKR
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There have been multiple prospects who didn’t even make the U20 team and were picked in the top 5 and have had solid NHL careers, being cut is more dissapointing than only scoring 1.0ppg in Hlinka and 0,57ppg in U20.
Frolov 6'3
Unregistered User
I had wished he was just as dominating as for instance Zegras. Obviously that is never a bad thing. I do not think he is a project and should be in the NHL within two years. Neither do I think his young age is an argument.
But yes, I do think its not a big deal when a 2nd overall pick isn’t dominating in a 7 game stretch, a couple of months after being drafted as one of the top picks with a label as being very raw.
You were speaking in absolutes like that makes your opinion any more thruthful....but its terribly annoying for most.
I’m not sure the argument of him being a tall lanky kid is valid. He’s 220lbs, likely plays in the NHL at 230ish, not much more. So he won’t fill out a ton further or the speed which is an important part of his game will go away. His peers in the best on best tournaments are giving up massive size differential which won’t be the case in the NHL.
On the positive side if he can develop a mean streak he could impose his will. There are valid concerns that he has never done this against much physically smaller players and starting while you are on an equal physical footing will take a lot of coaching.
As a sens fan I’m hoping he develops, we’ve went through pains with Daigle, Bonk, Berard, Philips, etc as high end picks who never reached that top line potential. All good players in their right just not what you expect when picking top 3. We also had the Yashin’s who although a true top line player his desire and greed never allowed him to materialize long term. I don’t believe Byfield is a Yashin but am concerned he ever becomes a top liner
On the positive side if he can develop a mean streak he could impose his will. There are valid concerns that he has never done this against much physically smaller players and starting while you are on an equal physical footing will take a lot of coaching.
As a sens fan I’m hoping he develops, we’ve went through pains with Daigle, Bonk, Berard, Philips, etc as high end picks who never reached that top line potential. All good players in their right just not what you expect when picking top 3. We also had the Yashin’s who although a true top line player his desire and greed never allowed him to materialize long term. I don’t believe Byfield is a Yashin but am concerned he ever becomes a top liner
NYIschremp44
Registered User
yeah that 1 year Berard spent in the Sens organization prior to being traded for one of the best Dmen in the history of the franchise must’ve been awful lol
Frolov 6'3
Unregistered User
Again if it were just this one tournament it wouldnt be a big deal. What makes it a problem is when hes been a let down at EVERY one of these events... Then you start to see concerns
OKR
Registered User
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So let me get this straight, it’s more of a dissapointment to score PPG in U20 cause most of the points came in one game than to get cut from the tournament entirely?
And he was 4th in scoring for his team in U17 with 3 points in 5 games, while being almost 6months younger than most of the players.
Frolov 6'3
Unregistered User
Again, apparently those tournaments weren’t that bad or not that much of importance according to the top scouts while he was still rated a top pick THREE months ago.
When he fails to produce at a pro level, than the concerns should be starting. Thats not because he is a LA prospect, that is what I am saying for years already. I can be excited about junior stats too but thats about it.
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Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
While the expectation is that high draft picks (top three or so) contribute at the NHL level immediately it's not unheard of for it to take some of those picks some time to make their mark. I think Byfield will be one of those players.....and that's okay. I think he's going to have an adjustment period to the pace of the game. Yes, he's big-but that only gets you so far. Demeanor wise, does he have it in him to be more assertive and impose his will on the game? I think that's a question mark. He'll have a great mentor in Kopitar.
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