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

[King'sPawn]

My point of view, it's hard to teach accountability without practicing it. You may not be thrilled with the level of players LA development is churning out, but are you sure you can pin that on the flaws with development, or is it the picks the team has made? Not trying to piss on the scouts either, the picks LA did have weren't all that early. Take Kaliev. He fell to the 2nd precisely because outside of scoring his game was absolute mess, and nobody wanted to take that project on with an earlier pick. He seems to be coming along fairly well for where he was picked. The only guy that seems to fall short of the expectations is maybe Turcotte, but his offensive game began to sputter even before he got into the Kings hands, and he wasn't rushed to play bottom 6 role in the NHL either, but brought along slowly through the AHL. I am more inclined to say in the hindsight he simply wasn't as good a prospect as he was ranked going into the draft, it happens.

TL;DR. I think LA development has done fairly well with the prospects they did manage to get their hands on in the draft.

I appreciate the feedback. I think ultimately there's a difference in philosophy between us. But more than anything, I think that people learn things differently, in different ways, and I'd like to see the Kings be more creative with how they handle different types of players.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

My point of view, it's hard to teach accountability without practicing it. You may not be thrilled with the level of players LA development is churning out, but are you sure you can pin that on the flaws with development, or is it the picks the team has made? Not trying to piss on the scouts either, the picks LA did have weren't all that early. Take Kaliev. He fell to the 2nd precisely because outside of scoring his game was absolute mess, and nobody wanted to take that project on with an earlier pick. He seems to be coming along fairly well for where he was picked. The only guy that seems to fall short of the expectations is maybe Turcotte, but his offensive game began to sputter even before he got into the Kings hands, and he wasn't rushed to play bottom 6 role in the NHL either, but brought along slowly through the AHL. I am more inclined to say in the hindsight he simply wasn't as good a prospect as he was ranked going into the draft, it happens.

TL;DR. I think LA development has done fairly well with the prospects they did manage to get their hands on in the draft.

It's probably both, but it's an entire decade worth of 1st and 2nd round picks that have had those issues, and an entire decade of 4th-7th round picks becoming regular NHLers at a high rate, insanely high rate for 7th rounders. Which leads to the imo fair complaints about blue-chip talent not ever really taking off here being a development concern rather than a drafting fault given two completely opposite regimes drafting philosophies.

 

[Altimus]

Is he not a regular NHLer now? Why is still talked about as a prospect.

 

[Comely]

Is he not a regular NHLer now? Why is still talked about as a prospect.

this is pretty common around here, he wasnt a regular all of last year, typically you talk about players like they are prospects until they play at least a full season outside of the minors or get old.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Well there are plenty of people saying he hasn't arrived so gotta keep talking about him as if he's a prospect until he does right?

 

[Herby]

To me your post reads like a praise to the Kings development philosophy. Raw-skilled players do not win games and Cups. Well-rounded players do.

This is not true, there have been plenty of high end skilled guys who may not be great defensively who won cups. Not everyone is going to be well rounded, especially not right away.

The Kings insistence on paying dues and automatic AHL time (more so than any team other than maybe Nashville) is likely a contributing reason why the Kings have had a very difficult time developing offensive players.

With how many 1st and 2nd round picks, especially very high ones, the results should have been better as far as developing high end pieces.

 

[ORRFForever]

Has an assist. Needs another point to be PPG.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Has an assist. Needs another point to be PPG.

At this point we know it's coming, it's not like we're on point watch anymore.

It's clear that he's our best forward, or at least tied with Kempe who has awoken, but Byfield is still the driver. Kopitar is amazing but it's clear he's lost a step and having fast wingers is keeping him vibrant.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

With QB on wing, that should help reduce payment on his next contract. Probably try to sign him long term at a lower rate as a winger. If QB and his agent still think QB can carry this type of play at center, then the cost goes up higher. It'll be an interesting rest of the season and offseason for QB as well as the Kings.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

Still crazy how explosive he is for his size.

Watching him skate with the puck always looks threatening now.

 

[Shroud of Orrin]

Shut ‘er down. Q’s a keeper.

 

[WADEugottaBELAKthat]

The confidence! Its literally a 180 degree change.

 

[kinghock]

With QB on wing, that should help reduce payment on his next contract. Probably try to sign him long term at a lower rate as a winger. If QB and his agent still think QB can carry this type of play at center, then the cost goes up higher. It'll be an interesting rest of the season and offseason for QB as well as the Kings.

Danault should be traded to get money needed for QB.
Also, Roy and Arvidsson need not to be resigned...

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Danault should be traded to get money needed for QB.
Also, Roy and Arvidsson need not to be resigned...

You missed the point completely. Centers usually would demand more than wingers. And this is QB's first year as a winger, which he's more a playmaking winger than a two-way scorer (goal scorer and playmaker). Even if the production is high for QB this year, a huge sticking point could be he's a playmaking winger for the team. QB and his agent will try to press that he'll eventually be a center.

With the emergence of QB at wing, it may make Arvidsson expendable after the season. If you're trading Danault, then you're gambling that QB can be a center or that Turcotte isn't made out of glass. Also, Danault has a 10-team NMC starting next season. Not re-signing Roy, who is currently the Kings #2 ATOI with 21:00 per game, could be drop the overall talent of the team defense, but with RD Clarke nipping at the sheets to get to the NHL, it might be the only course of action to create even more cap space.

Just how much cap space is dependent on how well QB does this year. If I were the team, I'd try to sign him long term at a reasonable AAV for a winger. If I were QB and his agent(s), then I'd go bridge deal in hopes of being able to play center again. That might be difficult because Kopi and PLD are signed for the next two seasons.

 

[ORRFForever]

Assist against the Flyers.

 

[Felidae]

Assist against the Flyers today.

 

[ORRFForever]

Assist against the Flyers today.

Thanks. Terrible camera work.

 

[fsanford]

He really isn’t that good. Upside is probably a bottom 6 guy at this point.

There are several comments that did not age well. But I guess it is to be expected in an age of instant gratification.

Lesson to us all lets see where guys are at by the 22nd birthday before we throw dirt on them.

 

[KevinRedkey]

He's begun to prove me wrong, and I am well on my way to eating crow. I'm realising I'm often too harsh on big guys drafted early. I also didn't want Brady Tkachuk at the time. lol

 

[johnjm22]

Nice angle of Byfield's sweet assist last night.

 

[Garbageyuk]

There are several comments that did not age well. But I guess it is to be expected in an age of instant gratification.

Lesson to us all lets see where guys are at by the 22nd birthday before we throw dirt on them.

Lol, you dug up a year old post because of a 17 game sample size? In which Byfield still didn’t even hit 1.0 point/game? You realize bottom-six guys have stretches as good or better than Byfield’s last 17 games every single season, right? We’ll see how things play out. For now the sample size is too small to draw any conclusions from, other than that he’s finally playing decent.

Also, you couldn’t wait more than 17 games to start gloating, how do you not see the irony in your post? lmao

Let’s revisit this at the end of the season.

 

[unicornpig]

Lol, you dug up a year old post because of a 17 game sample size? In which Byfield still didn’t even hit 1.0 point/game? You realize bottom-six guys have stretches as good or better than Byfield’s last 17 games every single season, right? We’ll see how things play out. For now the sample size is too small to draw any conclusions from, other than that he’s finally playing decent.

Also, you couldn’t wait more than 17 games to start gloating, how do you not see the irony in your post? lmao

Let’s revisit this at the end of the season.

and you will still look dumb.

 

[King'sPawn]

Lol, you dug up a year old post because of a 17 game sample size? In which Byfield still didn’t even hit 1.0 point/game? You realize bottom-six guys have stretches as good or better than Byfield’s last 17 games every single season, right? We’ll see how things play out. For now the sample size is too small to draw any conclusions from, other than that he’s finally playing decent.

Also, you couldn’t wait more than 17 games to start gloating, how do you not see the irony in your post? lmao

Let’s revisit this at the end of the season.

1. Name a bottom-6 guy who averages 1.0 points/game over a 17-game stretch.

2. Plenty of top-six players don't average a point-per-game, either over a season or over 17 games. Kopitar isn't scoring at that clip. Is he not a top-six player as well?

 

[Shroud of Orrin]

Let’s revisit this at the end of the season.

It will only get worse.

 

[Dominance]

Nice angle of Byfield's sweet assist last night.

Nice angle of Cooley’s benching-worthy turnover there too. Slick patience by QB!