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Prospect Info: LAK Draft (2nd, 2020) C Quinton Byfield - Sudbury Wolves, OHL

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Johnny Utah said:
Looking back I regret supporting the Byfield decision.

Kings have Vilardi and Turcotte as potential star centers. Who knows what becomes of Kupari, Madden, JAD, Thomas, and Dudas but they all play center also. That’s 7 centers.

Stutzle plays center and wing. Kings have only one dynamic wing in the cupboard and that’s Kayilev. Stutzle could have stepped in now and played wing with Vilardi-Frk or Lizotte-Carter.

After Kopitar retires, Kings were already set with Vilardi and Turcotte as 1-2 down the middle. Likely Kupari moves to the wing and JAD or Madden becomes a 3C and let’s assume Thomas or Dudas as 4C.
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I don’t think it makes sense to draft based on position need. You always take the best player available. That said, Stutzle would have been the safer choice, while Byfield is too much of a project to risk it on your 2nd overall pick.
 
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Johnny Utah said:
Looking back I regret supporting the Byfield decision.

Kings have Vilardi and Turcotte as potential star centers. Who knows what becomes of Kupari, Madden, JAD, Thomas, and Dudas but they all play center also. That’s 7 centers.

Stutzle plays center and wing. Kings have only one dynamic wing in the cupboard and that’s Kayilev. Stutzle could have stepped in now and played wing with Vilardi-Frk or Lizotte-Carter.

After Kopitar retires, Kings were already set with Vilardi and Turcotte as 1-2 down the middle. Likely Kupari moves to the wing and JAD or Madden becomes a 3C and let’s assume Thomas or Dudas as 4C.
Click to expand...

for like the millionth time - most centers have no issue playing wing. A lot are even better on the wing (Kempe). This is an empty talking point.
 
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Johnny Utah said:
Looking back I regret supporting the Byfield decision.

Kings have Vilardi and Turcotte as potential star centers. Who knows what becomes of Kupari, Madden, JAD, Thomas, and Dudas but they all play center also. That’s 7 centers.

Stutzle plays center and wing. Kings have only one dynamic wing in the cupboard and that’s Kayilev. Stutzle could have stepped in now and played wing with Vilardi-Frk or Lizotte-Carter.

After Kopitar retires, Kings were already set with Vilardi and Turcotte as 1-2 down the middle. Likely Kupari moves to the wing and JAD or Madden becomes a 3C and let’s assume Thomas or Dudas as 4C.
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This is a weird and reactionary regret based on an increasingly distant series of assumptions.
 
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1. You don't draft for positional need
2. most of our "c" prospects play winger games anyway, Id be absolutely shocked if Kupari, Dudas at the very least actually play C in the NHL.
3. Again I have very little qualm for people who would actually pick Stutzle over Byfield but to change your vote retroactively because one is more NHL ready is incredibly shortsighted. Again, you draft for 20 years, not 3 months.
 
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tbrown33 said:
for like the millionth time - most centers have no issue playing wing. A lot are even better on the wing (Kempe). This is an empty talking point.
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This. Maybe Byfield can center Turcotte and Kupari. Heck maybe even play wing with Vilardi. Just to piss off JU. lol
 
Changing your mind on the pick because of the seven games of hockey Byfield played this year is silly.

What's changed since the draft except for the WJC? If the WJC was enough at this point for you to change your mind, then you were basically on the fence to begin with and didn't have much of a preference. It also means you might flip back depending on what happens over the next two months.

Patience has always been key with Byfield. There are a ton of kids in the backseat on this site asking "are we there yet?". The answer is "f*** no we aren't there yet! We just backed out of the driveway!!"
 
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The idea of Byfield & Turcotte on the same line would be scary to other teams. I go back & forth thinking about this -- whether better to have them together of separately centering their own lines. But we have sooo much center depth (depending on player development and/or trades), we have the luxury to do so. Kopi still has several years left being a quality player -- maybe not #1 line but simply as a 3rd liner down the road. That's not even considering one of Kupari, Thomas, Madden, Andersson, JAD, Dudas, Lizette, etc. developing into a mainstay 3/4th line center LT.
 
Schrute farms beets said:
The idea of Byfield & Turcotte on the same line would be scary to other teams. I go back & forth thinking about this -- whether better to have them together of separately centering their own lines. But we have sooo much center depth (depending on player development and/or trades), we have the luxury to do so. Kopi still has several years left being a quality player -- maybe not #1 line but simply as a 3rd liner down the road. That's not even considering one of Kupari, Thomas, Madden, Andersson, JAD, Dudas, Lizette, etc. developing into a mainstay 3/4th line center LT.
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That's the hope, right? That Byfield/Turcotte/Vilardi are so good that in 2 to 3 seasons, Kopitar is pushed into an elite 3rd line role instead of top 6.
 
cyclones22 said:
Turcotte - Byfield - Kaliyev. Book it.
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I would suggest looking at a LC and RC on the same line in the long run.

Right Center - Vilardi, Madden, Kupari, Thomas

Left Center - Kopi, Byfield, Turcotte, Andersson, JAD

We Rich!

edit: Crap, forgot Turcotte ... oh how embarrassing.
 
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Token said:
I would suggest looking at a LC and RC on the same line in the long run.

Right Center - Vilardi, Madden, Kupari, Thomas

Left Center - Kopi, Byfield, Turcotte, Andersson, JAD

We Rich!

edit: Crap, forgot Turcotte ... oh how embarrassing.
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The Kings have so many centers, they should line up as right center-center center-left center.
 
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Prime Kings ice the game line was Richards-Kopi-Carter. That was Sutter's closer line in the final minutes. Loved watching them line up at the face off circle. They weren't giving up any game tying or winning goals.
 
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If all our centers hit their ceilings we trade the surplus for equal quality wingers and probably get a pick also due to the greater positional value. It’s a non issue and a great ‘problem’ to have. I personally think Turcotte moves to wing, he’d be great there as he has all the correct attributes and he’s also said he’d happily play there. I think he’s a better candidate for wing than Vilardi, who could play the position, but I think we’d lose the full benefit of his game IQ.

Thomas, Madden and Kupari will all end up as wingers IMO, regardless of the depth we have. That’s no knock on them, just how I see their skill sets at the NHL level.

As for Byfield... are we still debating Stützle? I’m still 100% certain we made the right pick, and if the WJC performances are so important why aren’t the Byfield critics talking about how Stützle didn’t seem to like being pressured physically. Sure, he had a flashy start but later on there were question marks IMO. I
 
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I think everyone projects Byfield as a center but putting him in scenarios where he’s on Kopitar’s wing could be a really fun experiment. I’ve brought this up before but Q could be the Tim Duncan to Kopitar’s David Robinson. Waaaay different sports but same philosophy - overwhelm the D down low with sheer size and skill while simultaneously opening up room along the perimeter (high slot). At that point pick your poison for F3 - Kaliyev with his shot, probably. Would be fun to see sometime!
 
Johnny Utah said:
Looking back I regret supporting the Byfield decision.
Click to expand...

I will live and die supporting the Byfield pick. Even before the draft lottery (when the Kings secured the 2nd overall pick) I held the opinion that if the Kings could somehow draft Byfield and Grans the draft would be a win even if the Kings missed on the rest of their picks.
I held (still hold) the belief that in 2027 when the media/experts do their redrafts that Byfield will be the top player to come out of that draft.

Byfield is the way........it is known.
 
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tbrown33 said:
I think everyone projects Byfield as a center but putting him in scenarios where he’s on Kopitar’s wing could be a really fun experiment. I’ve brought this up before but Q could be the Tim Duncan to Kopitar’s David Robinson. Waaaay different sports but same philosophy - overwhelm the D down low with sheer size and skill while simultaneously opening up room along the perimeter (high slot). At that point pick your poison for F3 - Kaliyev with his shot, probably. Would be fun to see sometime!
Click to expand...

Just for funsies, toss out Byfield-Kopitar-Vilardi for a couple of shifts. Good luck!
 
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Rekingsfan17 said:
I will live and die supporting the Byfield pick. Even before the draft lottery (when the Kings secured the 2nd overall pick) I held the opinion that if the Kings could somehow draft Byfield and Grans the draft would be a win even if the Kings missed on the rest of their picks.
I held (still hold) the belief that in 2027 when the media/experts do their redrafts that Byfield will be the top player to come out of that draft.

Byfield is the way........it is known.
Click to expand...

Even before the 2019 draft, I was texting Hoven and said "Dude, look out for this Byfield kid next year. He could be something special."

Lol at kneejerk reactions regretting the pick.
 
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King'sPawn said:
Even before the 2019 draft, I was texting Hoven and said "Dude, look out for this Byfield kid next year. He could be something special."

Lol at kneejerk reactions regretting the pick.
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And that's really the thing for me. Over large sample sizes, the kid is just an absolute monster. What he's done in juniors is not just incredible, it's historic, and that's on a team with no kids with NHL futures but him.
 
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