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

[Peter James Bond II]

Not wanting to look back...it's not the direction we're headed. BUT, this argument always bothered me:
"Stutzle may be the more ready prospect to step in, but Byfield is not a finished product and his tools and size are incomparable and has more upside' (or fill in the adjective)
The part that bothered me, is that Stutzle was kind of seen as not having as much future growth as Byfield....Stutzle not a finished product either and by all means,
may / will have every bit as much as growth as Byfield. So, who is the better player in 4 years? Who knows. Yannetti seemed to say it was his toughest decision, but
his decision was made easy, as he went with the blueprint that Blake was wanting.

Let's move forward. Byfield is King and the Kings will develop him to his full potential. I believe that.

 

[lumbergh]

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.

Lol at posters regretting the pick, like they had some role in making it in the first place.

 

[Schmooley]

Stutzle is going to be a great player theres no question about that. But in my view Byfield has the tools to be a game changer that this league has never seen. You cant pass that up. If he doesnt reach his potential then at worst you have a brian boyle with excellent speed. Yea it would suck if he doesnt become a dominant #1 center but I still make that pick every time no question. The Rangers probably questioned if they should take Byfield. They probably didnt have a conversation for Stutzle.

 

[Telos]

It was a home run or meh choice. Byfield is going to be an NHL player regardless, but there is a real chance that he doesn't end up the best choice at number #2, but there is a slight chance that he ends up the best choice in the whole draft. He has ridiculous potential, he is taller and in time will be more filled out than Kopitar, yet he is fast and offensively gifted. He theoretically could be the next Malkin in the league, but it will take him longer to get there. With the prospect depth the Kings had, it is perfectly fine to roll the dice because even at worst he is going to be a good NHL'er. It's way too soon to have regrets. Byfield has to at least be given a chance. This would be stressful if we didn't have guys like Turcotte, Vilardi, Madden, Thomas, etc. in the fold.

 

[ibleedkings]

Stutzle is going to be a great player theres no question about that. But in my view Byfield has the tools to be a game changer that this league has never seen. You cant pass that up. If he doesnt reach his potential then at worst you have a brian boyle with excellent speed. Yea it would suck if he doesnt become a dominant #1 center but I still make that pick every time no question. The Rangers probably questioned if they should take Byfield. They probably didnt have a conversation for Stutzle.

No it’s not gonna suck if he turns into Boyle 2.0 it will be a colossal epic failure. You don’t pick 2oa often and when you do it has to be a game changer.

 

[kilowatt]

No it’s not gonna suck if he turns into Boyle 2.0 it will be a colossal epic failure. You don’t pick 2oa often and when you do it has to be a game changer.

I'm sure Flyers fans wish they had taken Heiskanen instead of Patrick, that's for sure. He's looking like Boyle 2.0 (not that I blame him, injuries and migraines are terrible). Sam Reinhart and Ryan Murray aren't great picks either (especially given that Draisaitl was taken third after Reinhart). That 2012 draft was brutal though. So yes, having Byfield turn into Boyle would be awful. We might be able to recover from it given our other prospects, but still, yikes. I'd settle for Jeff Carter 2.0 though.

 

[Schmooley]

No it’s not gonna suck if he turns into Boyle 2.0 it will be a colossal epic failure. You don’t pick 2oa often and when you do it has to be a game changer.

Oh yea it will suck. I just meant he wont be a bust and not make it in the nhl. His floor is a bottom 6er that can win faceoffs, eat minutes and hold a lead. Not ideal for 2nd overall but still will have a role.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'm very not ready to compare Byfield to Brian Boyle and Nolan Patrick in any way, shape, or form.

The WJC shouldn't mold people's thoughts that much. Stutzle still has question marks too, you know. If you're worried about Byfield not scoring while in a checking role, you should also be pretty worried about Stutzle melting under good checking, Raymond looking pedestrian, Sanderson fumbling pucks in troubling places. It's stupid that people look at Byfield's concerns while at the WJC and apply that to their evaluations while deliberately ignoring a larger sample size, yet other prospects' issues get completely glossed over. Of course if you look at the worst of a raw prospect you'll be worried, but the grass ain't much greener.

 

[Steve Zissou]

I'm very not ready to compare Byfield to Brian Boyle and Nolan Patrick in any way, shape, or form.

The WJC shouldn't mold people's thoughts that much. Stutzle still has question marks too, you know. If you're worried about Byfield not scoring while in a checking role, you should also be pretty worried about Stutzle melting under good checking, Raymond looking pedestrian, Sanderson fumbling pucks in troubling places. It's stupid that people look at Byfield's concerns while at the WJC and apply that to their evaluations while deliberately ignoring a larger sample size, yet other prospects' issues get completely glossed over. Of course if you look at the worst of a raw prospect you'll be worried, but the grass ain't much greener.

HF'ers enjoy being shortsighted. You know, the forest for the trees type of people.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Brian Boyle was drafted 26th overall, had issues with his skating, and the Kings didn't know if they wanted him to play forward or defense. Comparing Byfield to Boyle would be like someone comparing Stuetzle to Marco Sturm.

 

[cyclones22]

It's gonna be funny when he starts kicking ass in the NHL. I'm very confident he's going to be Kopi 2.0. He seems to be incredibly coachable. Right or wrong, deserved or undeserved, he was given a role in the WJC and excelled at it. Was Team Canada's main face-off guy and was among the tournament leaders in FO% and dominated on the boards and great on the forecheck in a 3rd line shutdown assignment. Byfield's already as big or bigger than Kopi and is a better skater. Has excellent puck skills and a good shot. Can he think the game like Kopi? That's the question. But gluing him to Kopi as much as possible in practices wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[AzKing]

This argument is sooo stupid, seriously. NONE of us knows shit and this argument will take probably at least 5 years to be put to bed. These kids are f***ing 18-years old, people!

It's the people who can't look past what is directly in front on them all the time that freak out this early about things. They need some sort of immediate gratification or they go crazy. It's like a constant search for the new pretty lights.

 

[Choralone]

I think at worst he becomes a Martin Hanzal.

 

[funky]

Kid is shut down in March. Gets to camp 2 days after everyone else. Is asked to play a checking role. Plays that new role well, dominated the dots, won board battles and even threw a 6 point game in between.

When games got tough he had some of the best offensive metrics On the team when some of the older guys that we relied upon failed to show.

kid just turned 18, was always considered a work in progress, and has never set foot in an NHL camp or had any hands on guidance.

Don’t think he is in the Boyle conversation yet. Give it a few weeks at least.

 

[Docgonzo]

I like Stutzle but wanted Byfield but you can’t compare them in the WJC. Stutzle played 31mins one game, he was playing like 20-26mins a game. Seemed like no Canadian played more than 15.

 

[Schmooley]

Didnt mean to ruffle any feathers with the brian boyle comparison. I was just using it as an example cause it seems like thats how hes being viewed right now after world juniors. And thinking so what we took the gamble and if thats how it turns out so be it. I am in agreement that it was the right pick and he will be a force in the nhl. I dont think anyone compared him to boyle i just threw out a big bottom 6 centerman name no harm meant by it.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I like Stutzle but wanted Byfield but you can’t compare them in the WJC. Stutzle played 31mins one game, he was playing like 20-26mins a game. Seemed like no Canadian played more than 15.

Yeah, I pointed out context is key, and was flogged for it by a few posters.

But even then, people are waayyyy too willing to forgive Stutzles issues in the same tourney. People are laying into Byfield for lighting up the Swiss and not scoring much else; Stutzle got 8 of his 10 points vs. the Swiss and the Slovaks. Stutzle in damn near 30 minutes vs. Russia was checked into 0 points, 3 SOG (in 26 min!), and -1. Stutzle in OVER 30 min vs. Canada was good for f***all -7 and 2 SOG. You want to blame his team? Too bad, you can't have it both ways; his offense was borne from opportunity as well, and he was playing with Florian Elias and JJ Peterka who both looked like damn good players with or without TS.

I'm not trying to pick on Stutzle in particular but that seems to be people's buyer's remorse, fact is you can micro-pick at just about any top prospect in the tourney if you want to hate them enough. The big difference is people are applying Byfield's WJC to his entire career and ignoring ANY flaws from other prospects regardless of sample size.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Didnt mean to ruffle any feathers with the brian boyle comparison. I was just using it as an example cause it seems like thats how hes being viewed right now after world juniors. And thinking so what we took the gamble and if thats how it turns out so be it. I am in agreement that it was the right pick and he will be a force in the nhl. I dont think anyone compared him to boyle i just threw out a big bottom 6 centerman name no harm meant by it.

Understood and I didn't mean to look like I was laying into that comparison in particular, and I fully get his potential volatility. I'm just starting to get peeved by people reading too much into the WJC. Like I keep saying, someone go tell Mackinnon he's a bust so it helps us out this year, and quickly sign Jordan Schroeder before someone else does!

 

[bland]

The concern is that the WJCs actually displayed many of the concerns voiced regarding Byfield leading up to the draft.

Nobody should be certain of anything about anybody at that age. However, you judge what you see. And on display was a lack of aggression, a lack of creativity in tight spaces, and an acceptance to let far too many shifts go by without imposing himself offensively when he most definitely had the opportunity.

I find the whole third line, unfamiliar role stuff to be a bunch of nonsense. The criticism isn't that he didn't play THAT role well, he did - the possession and forecheck work was excellent. But you don't draft a guy #2 overall to be a competent pro, you draft him that high to be an impact player at the highest level of the game. THAT is where he came up short - plenty of good possession deep in the offensive zone, plenty of pucks on his stick in dangerous places, and apart from one game, next to no production. The high expected goals stat isn't a positive here, it underlines an inability to produce when expected to do so. He didn't demostrate a high level of ability when he had that chance.

That's why folks were disappointed. We read all summer that he dominated soft opposition, but struggled in bigger games and in the limelight of international tournaments. Then we saw that very issue unveil itself right in front of us.

I also don't find any reason to compare him to any other pro. He is so damn young, he can go in a whole bunch of directions. That's one of the reasons I want him to go back to the OHL as quickly as possible. I don't want him to settle for being a Kopitar clone, he needs to let his offensive game grow and not just find some satisfaction in being responsible enough to make it to the NHL at 18.

He is a kid, not a man, and I for one want him to push himself to see what he can accomplish, to be the best player he could possibly be which includes being a dominant offensive force. That is the kind of player who gets picked 2nd overall.

 

[ru4reals]

All I gots to say is 6 points vs Switzerland to 5. Case closed.

In all seriousness though, will I be disappointed if he flops yes, but my goodness too soon to say he's the next Brian Boyle. Byfield will be just fine not even worried. Just look at PLD he took a few years and now we're talking about trading for him. Byfield is going to prove many wrong. Plus I'm pretty confident Stuzle will struggle just like Hughes and Kakko. No one is Crosby and Ovie. Just watch.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

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!

What about Kopi-Star,Byfield and Carter...at least until Kaliyev figures it out. That's a lot of size to contend with eh?

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

The concern is that the WJCs actually displayed many of the concerns voiced regarding Byfield leading up to the draft.

Nobody should be certain of anything about anybody at that age. However, you judge what you see. And on display was a lack of aggression, a lack of creativity in tight spaces, and an acceptance to let far too many shifts go by without imposing himself offensively when he most definitely had the opportunity.

I find the whole third line, unfamiliar role stuff to be a bunch of nonsense. The criticism isn't that he didn't play THAT role well, he did - the possession and forecheck work was excellent. But you don't draft a guy #2 overall to be a competent pro, you draft him that high to be an impact player at the highest level of the game. THAT is where he came up short - plenty of good possession deep in the offensive zone, plenty of pucks on his stick in dangerous places, and apart from one game, next to no production. The high expected goals stat isn't a positive here, it underlines an inability to produce when expected to do so. He didn't demostrate a high level of ability when he had that chance.

That's why folks were disappointed. We read all summer that he dominated soft opposition, but struggled in bigger games and in the limelight of international tournaments. Then we saw that very issue unveil itself right in front of us.

I also don't find any reason to compare him to any other pro. He is so damn young, he can go in a whole bunch of directions. That's one of the reasons I want him to go back to the OHL as quickly as possible. I don't want him to settle for being a Kopitar clone, he needs to let his offensive game grow and not just find some satisfaction in being responsible enough to make it to the NHL at 18.

He is a kid, not a man, and I for one want him to push himself to see what he can accomplish, to be the best player he could possibly be which includes being a dominant offensive force. That is the kind of player who gets picked 2nd overall.

But that one game was pretty impressive eh?

 

[King'sPawn]

The concern is that the WJCs actually displayed many of the concerns voiced regarding Byfield leading up to the draft.

Nobody should be certain of anything about anybody at that age. However, you judge what you see. And on display was a lack of aggression, a lack of creativity in tight spaces, and an acceptance to let far too many shifts go by without imposing himself offensively when he most definitely had the opportunity.

I find the whole third line, unfamiliar role stuff to be a bunch of nonsense. The criticism isn't that he didn't play THAT role well, he did - the possession and forecheck work was excellent. But you don't draft a guy #2 overall to be a competent pro, you draft him that high to be an impact player at the highest level of the game. THAT is where he came up short - plenty of good possession deep in the offensive zone, plenty of pucks on his stick in dangerous places, and apart from one game, next to no production. The high expected goals stat isn't a positive here, it underlines an inability to produce when expected to do so. He didn't demostrate a high level of ability when he had that chance.

That's why folks were disappointed. We read all summer that he dominated soft opposition, but struggled in bigger games and in the limelight of international tournaments. Then we saw that very issue unveil itself right in front of us.

I also don't find any reason to compare him to any other pro. He is so damn young, he can go in a whole bunch of directions. That's one of the reasons I want him to go back to the OHL as quickly as possible. I don't want him to settle for being a Kopitar clone, he needs to let his offensive game grow and not just find some satisfaction in being responsible enough to make it to the NHL at 18.

He is a kid, not a man, and I for one want him to push himself to see what he can accomplish, to be the best player he could possibly be which includes being a dominant offensive force. That is the kind of player who gets picked 2nd overall.

The thing is, he got better as the tournament went on. You can't expect a player to push himself if there's a certain degree of discomfort - because working through discomfort IS pushing himself.

You can choose to ignore the fact he was asked to play a different role if you want. But being a third-line forechecker and operating out of his comfort zone was a lot.

I am curious how Byfield would have done centering McMichael and Pelletier, while getting top powerplay time. Byfield had just one fewer point than McMichael, who had all that opportunity.

Canada had a lot of passengers. Byfield was closer to an underachiever, but again, how much are you expecting from your bottom-six forward?

 

[cyclones22]

The thing is, he got better as the tournament went on. You can't expect a player to push himself if there's a certain degree of discomfort - because working through discomfort IS pushing himself.

You can choose to ignore the fact he was asked to play a different role if you want. But being a third-line forechecker and operating out of his comfort zone was a lot.

I am curious how Byfield would have done centering McMichael and Pelletier, while getting top powerplay time. Byfield had just one fewer point than McMichael, who had all that opportunity.

Canada had a lot of passengers. Byfield was closer to an underachiever, but again, how much are you expecting from your bottom-six forward?

The funny thing is that how often is it said here, why have our top forward prospects on the big club if they're going to play on the fourth line with grinders in limited minutes? That is a universal viewpoint from all fans. They want their most talented prospects to be put in a position to exploit their talents. When the Kings finally called Vilardi up last season it wasn't to play him in a checking role. It was to play him in a top-six role. Would he have looked as impressive playing in a bottom six checking role?

 

[Eagle Fang]

Was he asked to play a bottom six / checker role though or did he play his way into a bottom six role? Seriously asking as I don't recall seeing that anywhere. He was certainly given top line duties for Team Red in camp and was moved down as camp progressed which tells me he was initially slotted to be a top six forward. When Dach went down, I think everyone expected Byfield to be a shoe-in for 1st or 2nd line center and that never happened.