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

[voxel]

Not sure how McLeod projects at the NHL level, but vs the Reign he looks real good.. but seeing as it's the Reign that might not be saying much lol... Still, he's a fun player to watch with tons of speed.

I'm a realist. McLeod is 4th or 6th in AHL scoring depending on the night. He has some offensive potential but it's pretty limited because in the NHL there is so little time and space. He will probably be a NHL regular solely because of his skating and defensive game.

I saw Marody and Benson in the NHL during their brief stints. While they are good AHL skaters... they were BORDERLINE skaters in the NHL and struggled against NHL defenders who were stronger and faster. AHL is full of slugs. This year it's full of ECHLers.

Marody(24 yr old) and Benson(22/23 yr old) also lead the AHL in points (23pts in 17GP and 20pts in 15GP) but are they better than Byfield as prospects and in the future? No. Byfield is 18. You know he will get stronger and faster unless he is lazy and not a professional (sign say this is unlikely). Byfield appears to make quick-pro level decisions so I'm not worried about "hockey sense" - he needs to physically mature a little more, improve that first step acceleration, maybe practice on faceoffs + puck battles but honestly he's close. I personally would keep him in the AHL all year and then start in the NHL next season in a sheltered 2C/4C role.

 

[Eagle Fang]

I'm a realist. McLeod is 4th or 6th in AHL scoring depending on the night. He has some offensive potential but it's pretty limited because in the NHL there is so little time and space. He will probably be a NHL regular solely because of his skating and defensive game.

I saw Marody and Benson in the NHL during their brief stints. While they are good AHL skaters... they were BORDERLINE skaters in the NHL and struggled against NHL defenders who were stronger and faster. AHL is full of slugs. This year it's full of ECHLers.

Marody(24 yr old) and Benson(22/23 yr old) also lead the AHL in points (23pts in 17GP and 20pts in 15GP) but are they better than Byfield as prospects and in the future? No. Byfield is 18. You know he will get stronger and faster unless he is lazy and not a professional (sign say this is unlikely). Byfield appears to make quick-pro level decisions so I'm not worried about "hockey sense" - he needs to physically mature a little more, improve that first step acceleration, maybe practice on faceoffs + puck battles but honestly he's close. I personally would keep him in the AHL all year and then start in the NHL next season in a sheltered 2C/4C role.

Im not super familiar with EDM prospects, but McLeod is still young and I could see him developing into a bottom six, shut down type of player. Looks to have really good speed and skating which is always in demand at the NHL level. Bensen and Marody, without looking up who they were, struck me as good AHL players who get the occasional call-up. Again, I could be totally wrong. Just my assumptions based on limited viewings.

But the 3 of them together... really fun to watch.

As for Byfield, I wasn't so high on him after the WJCs, but I'm converting after watching him thus far with the Reign. I see the potential for a very special player. Looked real good through the first 10 games of the season, then kind of regressed a little bit, but is coming back strong the last 3-4 games.

 

[voxel]

Im not super familiar with EDM prospects, but McLeod is still young and I could see him developing into a bottom six, shut down type of player. Looks to have really good speed and skating which is always in demand at the NHL level. Bensen and Marody, without looking up who they were, struck me as good AHL players who get the occasional call-up. Again, I could be totally wrong. Just my assumptions based on limited viewings.

But the 3 of them together... really fun to watch.

As for Byfield, I wasn't so high on him after the WJCs, but I'm converting after watching him thus far with the Reign. I see the potential for a very special player. Looked real good through the first 10 games of the season, then kind of regressed a little bit, but is coming back strong the last 3-4 games.

It's complicated. If you look at AHL stats and by eye tests... Benson and Marody should be NHLers but then you place an 30 year-old Sam Gagner beside them (last season) and he outplays them in the AHL then you realize what even "over the hill" NHLers can do. During the lockout - Eberle, Hall, Schultz destroyed the AHL. They half-assed it too IMO. Schultz was AHL D-man of the year and he only played half the season in the AHL.

This is Eberle's stat line (GP, G, A, Pts)

2012-13

Oklahoma City Barons

AHL

34

25

26

51

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

His NHLe is 60pt (NHLe Calculator - Frozen Tools) which is in line with his prime career average.

Taylor Hall's AHL stat line - which is NHLe of 52pts (a bit low) but again Hall half-assed in the AHL. I saw a live game in Austin (Texas Stars vs. Barons) where he scored a hat trick but he basically wasn't trying very hard.

2012-13

Oklahoma City Barons

AHL

26

14

20

34

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Right now if you shoved Byfield into the NHL he'd have the same problem as Draisaitl in his rookie season. His first step acceleration is not NHL-level. Byfield is a better/faster skating than rookie Draisaitl but he may not win races to puck battle and may not be strong enough to protect the puck from NHL defenders. He might only score 25-30pts in a 82GP season.

Last season... the two best AHLers I saw were Comtois and Cal Petersen. Stat-wise... it didn't look like they were anything special but Comtois dominated games and Petersen was a wall.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

I do hope Byfield finds his game eventually and that extra gear, and is able to become a consistent player. He seems like a great kid you hate to see struggling.

Strange time to classify Byfield as "struggling" as he has goals in 4 straight games and 6 points in his past 5 overall. As WhatTheFox said, he had a lull for a bit but he's been playing better lately (at least offensively--his defensive game is still farther behind). He's up to 13 points in 19 games, which puts him at 6th all-time when it comes to points-per-game average for 18-year-olds in the AHL. I won't pretend he's dominating the AHL, but he's looking solid even with clear areas he can improve.

 

[Mats26]

I do hope Byfield finds his game eventually and that extra gear, and is able to become a consistent player. He seems like a great kid you hate to see struggling.

He is 1pt away from leading the team in scoring. 13 pts in 19 games. Youngest player on the team and possibly the league. Had no preseason because of injury. To put things in perspective he is just below the same scoring pace that Vilardi had in the AHL at 20 years old. If you mean struggling defensivly , the whole team is a dumpster fire in their own end. But a bunch of teenagers and first year Pros are up there leading the AHL with GF and rookie scoring.

He has a few extra gears and that is why he is worth the wait. Just need some patience.

 

[WaW]

I do hope Byfield finds his game eventually and that extra gear, and is able to become a consistent player. He seems like a great kid you hate to see struggling.

He's not struggling anymore. He's been great his last few games, 4 goals in his last 4, looking more confident and is settling into this level. Remember, this Ontario Reign team has been terrible this year and that's sort of discombobulated everyone on the roster. Things have settled down finally so players like Q are more comfortable and showing signs of development now.

 

[LAKings88]

I’m glad he is in the AHL. He is building some chemistry with other young prospects and it will pay off in the long run. It’s a shame Madden is currently hurt.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

I still don’t see how anyone could watch him or just look at him and wonder if the kings made the wrong pick. I think the ahl is perfect place for him maybe give him a little taste of nhl towards end of season .

he’s going to be a pretty dominate player as he gets older, no doubt about it

 

[NikF]

Byfield could be anything (in both the good and bad way), but it's good for him that he went to a team that has a competent development staff and program. His upside is very good, but he's got tons of work to do. His hockey IQ to me seems better than Zacha at the same age (who was another very toolsy player) so I'm more hopeful about him reaching his potential (but also because he went to a team that will bring him along correctly). I really think he is the type of player where bringing him along at the right pace with a competent development program can make a big difference. If you just threw him to the wolves and tell him to do his thing you'd damage his likelihood of reaching his upside at this point as he would just fall back onto his size, skating and hands to keep up instead of fine-tuning his game. I could see him topping out as anything from a 40-50pts toolsy guy that's a bit frustrating to watch to a E. Staal level of player. A bit of a calculated gamble for the Kings, but I think it's the right fit for him and them.

 

[Sting]

His numbers look great for an 18 year old rookie. I think a lot of people on HF have sold him short post-draft.

 

[Reddawg]

His numbers look great for an 18 year old rookie. I think a lot of people on HF have sold him short post-draft.

Like it’s their job.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

His numbers look great for an 18 year old rookie. I think a lot of people on HF have sold him short post-draft.

I think his numbers are great for an 18 year old non top pick rookie.

Considering his draft position, I'd say his production is "okay". Not terrible, not great.

A 56 point pace is great for an 18 year old top pick in the NHL. That sort of pace in the AHL is kind of meh.

 

[Nocashstyle]

I still don’t see how anyone could watch him or just look at him and wonder if the kings made the wrong pick. I think the ahl is perfect place for him maybe give him a little taste of nhl towards end of season .

he’s going to be a pretty dominate player as he gets older, no doubt about it

I haven’t watched a second of him, but even purely stat watching 13 points in 19 games for an 18 year old seems pretty damn good? Especially when it seemed to be common knowledge even before the draft that Byfield is gonna need a more little seasoning than someone like Stutzle who was already playing professionally.

 

[Realgud]

His numbers look great for an 18 year old rookie. I think a lot of people on HF have sold him short post-draft.

Shortsighted takes by people who don't understand that some prospects need more development than others... not like it was talked aplenty well before the draft happened... and yet we still see these "LOLOL thank god LA took Byfield!!!!1!!1!111!!". Absolutely ZERO patience.

Byfield is developing properly and if everything goes right for him, he should be a difference maker at the NHL level. Just GREAT tools, but of course, it comes with a certain amount of risk attached to it.

 

[BigKing]

I think his numbers are great for an 18 year old non top pick rookie.

Considering his draft position, I'd say his production is "okay". Not terrible, not great.

A 56 point pace is great for an 18 year old top pick in the NHL. That sort of pace in the AHL is kind of meh.

His birthday is less than a month away from the draft cut off so he is a legit 18 that was also always looked at as a guy that was not expected to be in the NHL right away.

If the OHL was going, he would have spent his D + 1 year just trouncing the OHL. Would putting up a similar PPG or even better in the OHL this year be better than the current pace he is on in the AHL?

Granted, the season was cut short a bit last year but 56 points got you a Top 50 scoring finish in the entire league. 56 points for an 18 year old rookie is more than great: it is fantastic. Just looking at the last decade, the list of 18 year old rookies scoring 56 points/on pace for 56 is pretty impressive company to be in. Skinner and RNH are probably the "worst" ones in the group and they aren't chopped liver.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

His birthday is less than a month away from the draft cut off so he is a legit 18 that was also always looked at as a guy that was not expected to be in the NHL right away.

If the OHL was going, he would have spent his D + 1 year just trouncing the OHL. Would putting up a similar PPG or even better in the OHL this year be better than the current pace he is on in the AHL?

Granted, the season was cut short a bit last year but 56 points got you a Top 50 scoring finish in the entire league. 56 points for an 18 year old rookie is more than great: it is fantastic. Just looking at the last decade, the list of 18 year old rookies scoring 56 points/on pace for 56 is pretty impressive company to be in. Skinner and RNH are probably the "worst" ones in the group and they aren't chopped liver.

I would say a 56 point pace is great for an 18 year old in the NHL. I think 65+ point pace starts being "fantastic".

I think a 45 point NHL pace for an 18 year old top pick is probably the bar. Fall below that and you've probably had a fairly disappointing rookie year.

I think Byfield's AHL production is just fine, but far from great. I would have personally been hoping for more after they way he produced last year.

His OHL production would have put his NHLe at a 48 point pace. But his AHL production drops his NHLe to a 27 point pace. That's definitely disappointing. If he were to keep pace with his NHLe from junior, he'd need 23 points in 19 AHL games instead of 13.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

What kind of rocket science is this.

 

[redcard]

I would say a 56 point pace is great for an 18 year old in the NHL. I think 65+ point pace starts being "fantastic".

I think a 45 point NHL pace for an 18 year old top pick is probably the bar. Fall below that and you've probably had a fairly disappointing rookie year.

I think Byfield's AHL production is just fine, but far from great. I would have personally been hoping for more after they way he produced last year.

His OHL production would have put his NHLe at a 48 point pace. But his AHL production drops his NHLe to a 27 point pace. That's definitely disappointing. If he were to keep pace with his NHLe from junior, he'd need 23 points in 19 AHL games instead of 13.

Pace is pointless when you're talking about a rookie experiencing the pro game for the first time. Why would you expect him to produce at the same pace over the course of games 21-40 that he did over games 1-20?

He had 7 points over his first 14 pro games.

He has 6 points in his last 5 pro games.

Its a development year, he's expected to develop and improve. I don't care what his season pace is, I care about how much better he looks in game 20 than he did in game 2.

 

[BigKing]

I would say a 56 point pace is great for an 18 year old in the NHL. I think 65+ point pace starts being "fantastic".

I think a 45 point NHL pace for an 18 year old top pick is probably the bar. Fall below that and you've probably had a fairly disappointing rookie year.

I think Byfield's AHL production is just fine, but far from great. I would have personally been hoping for more after they way he produced last year.

His OHL production would have put his NHLe at a 48 point pace. But his AHL production drops his NHLe to a 27 point pace. That's definitely disappointing. If he were to keep pace with his NHLe from junior, he'd need 23 points in 19 AHL games instead of 13.

Not all 18 year old rookies are the same, but you know that and that isn't some bold statement.

I think he could have put up similar numbers to the Top 3 picks from last year if he played in the NHL this season, along with similar minus numbers to the Top 2 picks. Yes, that would be a disappointment except--with Byfield--it would be a reminder why he probably shouldn't have been in the NHL right away to begin with. He was not drafted as a close-to-complete package but rather one that would not be fully-formed for a bit. This upside--and the existing prospect pool--is why LA went with him over the guy already putting up solid numbers in the DEL.

I think the Kings are pleased so far and actually have to be stoked that he is getting AHL minutes v. OHL. Since he can't play AHL next season, getting to do so this year can help prepare him to be better for NHL duty next season which was probably the plan all along as a 2OA spending his entire D + 2 year in the OHL would be rough. Now, this doesn't mean he's a 56 point 19 year old rookie but it hopefully means he is better prepared for NHL hockey.

I don't expect him to keep scoring a goal per game but I can see him increasing his PPG pace moving forward. That will be nice to see as I've obviously wanted to see more production; at the same time, it isn't surprising to see him start accumulating points. As someone that has watched a lot of Reign games, I want to see him get better when the puck isn't on his stick as well. He's interesting though because he played a real safe game at the WJC when he seemed to be playing a different role but, in Ontario where he's treated like the 1C, he is way more loose with the puck since he's focusing on generating offense. He needs to find a happy medium where he doesn't have to sacrifice one for the other to such a degree.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

As usual, people find ways to talk themselves out of liking Byfield's growth instead of appreciating it. And the timing couldn't be stranger, with 4g, 2a in his last 5.

The youngest skater in the league, playing pro for the first time, walks onto a team lacking solid veteran leadership and with swiss cheese defense and goaltending as well as a rookie coach with no training camp in a covid year with nothing to play towards championship-wise--and has a slow start to the surprise of no one who understands he's a longer development trajectory.

Yet, even with that slow start, he's tied for 23rd in AHL scoring, and right on pace for a top-10 18-yo AHL season of all time, and he's just heating up.

He has plenty more to learn, absolutely, but there is nothing QB can do to satisfy most people. If he were lighting up the OHL right now it would be the same people, same complaints anyway. I'm glad he's doing it against men near the Kings' devteam and with the other prospects so they can grow together and he can learn what it's like to play with dudes more his size.

 

[Mats26]

I would say a 56 point pace is great for an 18 year old in the NHL. I think 65+ point pace starts being "fantastic".

I think a 45 point NHL pace for an 18 year old top pick is probably the bar. Fall below that and you've probably had a fairly disappointing rookie year.

I think Byfield's AHL production is just fine, but far from great. I would have personally been hoping for more after they way he produced last year.

His OHL production would have put his NHLe at a 48 point pace. But his AHL production drops his NHLe to a 27 point pace. That's definitely disappointing. If he were to keep pace with his NHLe from junior, he'd need 23 points in 19 AHL games instead of 13.

I think you need to lower your expectations a bit for 18 year olds in the NHL.

 

[djscooter]

As usual, people find ways to talk themselves out of liking Byfield's growth instead of appreciating it. And the timing couldn't be stranger, with 4g, 2a in his last 5.

The youngest skater in the league, playing pro for the first time, walks onto a team lacking solid veteran leadership and with swiss cheese defense and goaltending as well as a rookie coach with no training camp in a covid year with nothing to play towards championship-wise--and has a slow start to the surprise of no one who understands he's a longer development trajectory.

Yet, even with that slow start, he's tied for 23rd in AHL scoring, and right on pace for a top-10 18-yo AHL season of all time, and he's just heating up.

He has plenty more to learn, absolutely, but there is nothing QB can do to satisfy most people. If he were lighting up the OHL right now it would be the same people, same complaints anyway. I'm glad he's doing it against men near the Kings' devteam and with the other prospects so they can grow together and he can learn what it's like to play with dudes more his size.

With 19 games played he's already at a top 20 18-year-old season in AHL history. 18-Year Old AHL Players - Regular Season Stats

 

[Fat Elvis]

I would say a 56 point pace is great for an 18 year old in the NHL. I think 65+ point pace starts being "fantastic".

I think a 45 point NHL pace for an 18 year old top pick is probably the bar. Fall below that and you've probably had a fairly disappointing rookie year.

I think Byfield's AHL production is just fine, but far from great. I would have personally been hoping for more after they way he produced last year.

His OHL production would have put his NHLe at a 48 point pace. But his AHL production drops his NHLe to a 27 point pace. That's definitely disappointing. If he were to keep pace with his NHLe from junior, he'd need 23 points in 19 AHL games instead of 13.

I just got dumberer.

Guessing you have not watched him play for the Reign yet? Not always easy to view AHL games and the camera angles suck. Seems odd to look at NHL scoring "pace", just a really odd thing to stick your flag in with a player who hasn't played an NHL game yet.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I just got dumberer.

Guessing you have not watched him play for the Reign yet? Not always easy to view AHL games and the camera angles suck. Seems odd to look at NHL scoring "pace", just a really odd thing to stick your flag in with a player who hasn't played an NHL game yet.

I haven't made any comments about his play as I haven't watched him. I'm talking purely about production.

 

[Osprey]

I think you need to lower your expectations a bit for 18 year olds in the NHL.

Indeed.

As an 18yo in the NHL:
Andrei Svechnikov, #2 OA 2018, put up a 37pt pace
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, #3 OA 2018, put up a 35pt pace
Jack Hughes, #1 OA 2019, put up a 28pt pace
Kaapo Kakko, #2 OA 2019, put up a 29pt pace
Kirby Dach, #3 OA 2019, put up a 29pt pace
Alexis Lafreniere, #1 OA 2020, is putting up a 22pt pace
Tim Stutzle, #3 OA 2020, is putting up a 49pt pace

It seems that 30-32 is about the average for 18yo forwards in the NHL recently. Byfield's current NHLe is 27pts, which isn't that far off and is improving. 5 games ago, it was only 20pts. If he steadily improves, it will increase. Of course, NHLe is not everything, since Lafrieniere's was 50pts.