C Quinton Byfield (2020, 2nd, LAK) part IV

[Chazz Reinhold]

Continuing his streak tonight.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

Interesting. goal.

I wonder why NHL guys don't try that more, take the puck against the grain (from the net back into the slot) and then firing a shot. It's a PP so you're probably not going to get hit on that either.

At least Byfield was creative in tight there. Most of the time he needs to have ice to skate into being that he plays such a north-south, transition-style of play from what I've seen of him.

 

[Dack]

Sweet assist tonight

 

[JTeller97]

Sweet assist tonight

Farmers league, still a bust

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Quittin' Bustfield casually on the ups, PPG and 50g pace in the AHL even despite a few games when he returned where he was clearly still laboring.

Hope that confidence carries over when he returns to the NHL.

 

[KapG]

Starts playing well in the ahl so what do the kings do when they call him up? Start running him out there for under 9 minutes total time on ice. JFC what are they doing to this kid? The way they handle their prospects is extremely weird. Look at the bullshit with Brandt clarke as well this year. at his age he should be out on the ice developing. Instead they’ve played him 9 games through almost half the year. Like, wtf are you doing lmao?

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

Starts playing well in the ahl so what do the kings do when they call him up? Start running him out there for under 9 minutes total time on ice. JFC what are they doing to this kid? The way they handle their prospects is extremely weird. Look at the bullshit with Brandt clarke as well this year. at his age he should be out on the ice developing. Instead they’ve played him 9 games through almost half the year. Like, wtf are you doing lmao?

Last night was a weird game with his ice time. He got himself promoted to play wing with Kopitar and Kempe in the third and somehow still ended up with under 9 minutes. Shows you how little McLellan played him the first two periods.

His ice time per game has gone down each season he's been in the NHL. I don't really understand what they are trying to do with him.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Last night was a weird game with his ice time. He got himself promoted to play wing with Kopitar and Kempe in the third and somehow still ended up with under 9 minutes. Shows you how little McLellan played him the first two periods.

His ice time per game has gone down each season he's been in the NHL. I don't really understand what they are trying to do with him.

View attachment 628137

He had under 7 minutes of ES icetime, but was instrumental in both PP goals.

2-3 shifts a period is just disgusting. I wish they'd just send him back down if this is going to be the case.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

He had under 7 minutes of ES icetime, but was instrumental in both PP goals.

2-3 shifts a period is just disgusting. I wish they'd just send him back down if this is going to be the case.

Or trade him while he maybe still has some value if they're just going to play him sparsely otherwise.

 

[Lavar Ball]

He's gonna be an absolute stud

 

[Akrapovince]

Makes me wonder sometimes, would Stützle even be able to crack the LA Kings if he were drafted by them?

His game wouldn’t look great in the bottom six and I don’t think he would have usurped any of the current Kings centres.

Byfield is an absolute victim of circumstance, and to an extent I think Laf is too.

It’s going to be weird looking back when he becomes the franchise centre he is suppose to be and we realize there was doubt at some point in time.

Impossible to not cheer for this kid at this point in time, I hope him and Stützle dominate the league for the next 2 decades. And happy this unicorn of a prospect is out west.

 

[koyvoo]

He looks really good tonight. The assist on the Kempe goal was an all elite level play.

 

[ponder]

I really think there’s gonna be considerable crow eating with Byfield. He’s got outstanding tools/talent, he’s been improving at a good pace, and he’s just 20 years old. IMO just a matter of time until he breaks out.

Reminds me of guys like Tage Thompson and Blake Wheeler, if anything he’s ahead of both at the same age, with tools/talent at least as good as they had at 20. It’s hard to say exactly how good he’ll become, but I’ll be surprised if he’s not a quality, high value top 6 centre by his mid 20s, and I think he has 1C upside.

 

[haulinbass]

He looks really good tonight. The assist on the Kempe goal was an all elite level play.

I don't quite see an elite level play on this. He certainly made a good play using his big body to protect the puck and power himself down low. The pass was just to the front of the net and It got picked up and went in.

However, if he can do that on a consistent basis he's going to be an effective player in this league. What I don't know, is how often he is doing these types of things? He certainly has my attention and I will find a couple opportunities to pick up a Kings game and focus on him.

 

[Random Comment]

Makes me wonder sometimes, would Stützle even be able to crack the LA Kings if he were drafted by them?

His game wouldn’t look great in the bottom six and I don’t think he would have usurped any of the current Kings centres.

Byfield is an absolute victim of circumstance, and to an extent I think Laf is too.

It’s going to be weird looking back when he becomes the franchise centre he is suppose to be and we realize there was doubt at some point in time.

Impossible to not cheer for this kid at this point in time, I hope him and Stützle dominate the league for the next 2 decades. And happy this unicorn of a prospect is out west.

1) Byfield is going to be a 1C.

2) Yes Stutzle would easily make this lineup. Do you watch Stutzle play? The 39 points in 36 games Stutzle, not the imaginary version who plays in your head.

 

[KapG]

1) Byfield is going to be a 1C.

2) Yes Stutzle would easily make this lineup. Do you watch Stutzle play? The 39 points in 36 games Stutzle, not the imaginary version who plays in your head.

So stutzle has been 39 points in 36 games stutzle since he came into the league eh? JFC this place

The posters point is that he probably isn’t where he is today if he was drafted by the kings because he wouldn’t have been given the ice time or opportunities to develop into the player he currently is. That’s very much a fair take

 

[Our Lady Peace]

Really been liking what I've seen from Byfield lately. Playing and pushing the pace at which he sees the ice. Getting to the middle of the ice too. The points will come and I feel the signs are there he's gonna be another taller guy that just needed a bit extra time to fill out and catch up at the NHL level.

 

[majormajor]

So stutzle has been 39 points in 36 games stutzle since he came into the league eh? JFC this place

The posters point is that he probably isn’t where he is today if he was drafted by the kings because he wouldn’t have been given the ice time or opportunities to develop into the player he currently is. That’s very much a fair take

The only thing different is that he wouldn't have been moved to center. The Kings wingers aren't all incredible, Stutzle would have been a top line winger in LA just the same.

 

[surixon]

Really been liking what I've seen from Byfield lately. Playing and pushing the pace at which he sees the ice. Getting to the middle of the ice too. The points will come and I feel the signs are there he's gonna be another taller guy that just needed a bit extra time to fill out and catch up at the NHL level.

Proper development is important and it is looking like that AHL stint where he started dominating is just what was needed. He looked like a confident player last night that was really using his tools effectively.

 

[KapG]

The only thing different is that he wouldn't have been moved to center. The Kings wingers aren't all incredible, Stutzle would have been a top line winger in LA just the same.

What about the kings handling of their prospects the last 5-10 years gives you this incredibly odd take?

 

[Frolov 6'3]

What about the kings handling of their prospects the last 5-10 years gives you this incredibly odd take?

With Kempe, Vilardi and probably Kaliyev there is something to look forward to but LA had to wait since Toffoli to get excited about a forward from the pipeline.

 

[DrSense]

Agree, it might have taken Stutzle's a bit more time to crack LAs lineup, but more like half a season of being the best player in the AHL by far, before he was elevated. The fact by last year he was one of the most impactful players on the ice every night (on a bad team) demonstrates he'd be clearly in LAs top 6 by now, if not their #1 center. For context, this season LA is a much higher scoring team than Ottawa (32 more goals so far) but Stutzle is still scoring more per game than any Kings player. The guy is a terror.

The bigger question is whether injuries would have derailed Stutzle as much as Byfield. Probably not, but he certainly wouldn't be where he is now on a 90 point pace if multiple injuries that had him miss significant time over the last few years. Byfield deserves a reasonable pass on his progress so far because of that.

The one thing I'll point out that MIGHT apply to Byfield, is Stutzle actually really took off for Ottawa when they moved him to center. They tried to shield him a bit early on playing on the wing (he hadn't been a full time center to that point anyway), but he was not nearly as effective given he didn't have the puck as much. Once he moved to center, his possession, impact and scoring took off. I heard Byfield was moved to the wing, and while he plays a different game than Stutzle that won't see him handle the puck as much perhaps, I think you do want to see the puck on his stick more, and not just put him on the wing as a finisher. That said, it's certainly better for him to be a scoring winger getting 16 minutes per night, than a bottom 6 center getting 8 minutes (Stutzle was never used that little, even when he struggled).

 

[Pavels Dog]

Reminds me of guys like Tage Thompson and Blake Wheeler, if anything he’s ahead of both at the same age, with tools/talent at least as good as they had at 20.

That may be true, but Thompson was a late 1st and Wheeler was a 5th overall without all that much talent taken behind him.
Right now Byfield may not go top 10 in a re-draft.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Agree, it might have taken Stutzle's a bit more time to crack LAs lineup, but more like half a season of being the best player in the AHL by far, before he was elevated. The fact by last year he was one of the most impactful players on the ice every night (on a bad team) demonstrates he'd be clearly in LAs top 6 by now, if not their #1 center. For context, this season LA is a much higher scoring team than Ottawa (32 more goals so far) but Stutzle is still scoring more per game than any Kings player. The guy is a terror.

The bigger question is whether injuries would have derailed Stutzle as much as Byfield. Probably not, but he certainly wouldn't be where he is now on a 90 point pace if multiple injuries that had him miss significant time over the last few years. Byfield deserves a reasonable pass on his progress so far because of that.

The one thing I'll point out that MIGHT apply to Byfield, is Stutzle actually really took off for Ottawa when they moved him to center. They tried to shield him a bit early on playing on the wing (he hadn't been a full time center to that point anyway), but he was not nearly as effective given he didn't have the puck as much. Once he moved to center, his possession, impact and scoring took off. I heard Byfield was moved to the wing, and while he plays a different game than Stutzle that won't see him handle the puck as much perhaps, I think you do want to see the puck on his stick more, and not just put him on the wing as a finisher. That said, it's certainly better for him to be a scoring winger getting 16 minutes per night, than a bottom 6 center getting 8 minutes (Stutzle was never used that little, even when he struggled).

Vilardi at 23 was our leading goal scorer (and leading scorer in aggregrate until about game 20) until the other night's shenanigans by Fiala and he can't/couldn't get off the 3rd line. Kaliyev is still our leading PP goal scorer despite being on IR and he still can't get off the 4th line.

There's nothing in LA now or recently that suggest Stutzle would have been moved any higher any faster and that's not a knock on TS, it's an ongoing complaint and commentary about LA's handling of youth. Byfield only got promoted initially because of Fiala's demotion and injuries/illnesses to Arvidsson and Moore.

I wish people would just believe LA fans on this rather than taking it as some sort of knock on Stutzle or attempt to narrow the current achievement gap.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

Right now Byfield may not go top 10 in a re-draft.

HFboards has spoken.