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

[Schmooley]

Iafallo has not been good this year no matter what stat says otherwise. He has no impact on a game overall. Still think they should resign him until they have a clear replacement though.
A friend of mine thats a hockey man moved out here recently and is turning into a kings fan said yesterday he thinks Iafallo is the worst first liner in the league. So thats from an outsider opinion of someone that has no dog in the fight and didnt watch the kings much on the east coast since their cup years.

 

[cyclones22]

Stutzle has some brilliant skill, but he would not be in LA. He'd be in Ontario because all he brings is offense at this point at the expense of everything else. That's how Kovi's ass got planted on the bench and bought out.

 

[BigKing]

Yes, probably playing on the wing but the Kings wouldn't be doing his development any favors by having him in the AHL. He is an NHL player , that much is clear. Bjornfot being kept up shows that Blake is atleast running a meritocracy.

Yes and no. If Bjornfot played as well as he did but the Kings had a middling record instead of the winning streak, I still wonder if Blake would have kept him up. Blake was in danger of upsetting the guys on the NHL roster--Doughty especially--if he sent Bjornfot down and signaled that he was punting on the season.

In my earlier post I mentioned that Byfield better be doing well in Ontario next season if he isn't up in LA...then I read your post referencing Sudbury and realized that he isn't AHL eligible next season. I can't see a world where he is in the OHL next year after playing in the AHL this season. That seems like a recipe for bad habits and arrested development.

 

[cyclones22]

Byfield is going to be on the Kings next season. I can't see him going back to the OHL. Maybe he starts on Gabe's wing or JAD's instead of at Center. Take some of the responsibility away as a 19 year old and let him be a little more free offensively. Once he gets used to game speed and physicality then you can move him back to the middle.

 

[Choralone]

Would people be more comfortable with the ambiguity surrounding Byfield's projection and development if there weren't some question marks around Turcotte? When we took Byfield, we were thinking that we would now have three top centers in development (Byfield, Turcotte, Villardi) - plus the others (Kupari, Madden, Thomas, etc.). One of the arguments for taking Stutzle was that we were already stocked with center prospects. Are people getting antsy about Byfield because Turcotte doesn't look like a 1c despite going 5 overall?

 

[BigKing]

Would people be more comfortable with the ambiguity surrounding Byfield's projection and development if there weren't some question marks around Turcotte? When we took Byfield, we were thinking that we would now have three top centers in development (Byfield, Turcotte, Villardi) - plus the others (Kupari, Madden, Thomas, etc.). One of the arguments for taking Stutzle was that we were already stocked with center prospects. Are people getting antsy about Byfield because Turcotte doesn't look like a 1c despite going 5 overall?

Of course. There are people that expected Turcotte to be an NHL player at some point this season so they are concerned when he can't stay healthy. On the flip side, everything was great with him after the WJC but now there are doubts again.

You draft a guy at 2OA and he doesn't light up the AHL while the guy at 3OA is looking good at the NHL level and you're going to get some people freaking out.

There is a time to freak out about prospects and some people have a shorter fuse than others. There's also guys that carry the torch until the prospect is playing in Europe. Even then you get some posters that are like "maybe Holloway will come back over and we can give him a shot".

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Of course. There are people that expected Turcotte to be an NHL player at some point this season so they are concerned when he can't stay healthy. On the flip side, everything was great with him after the WJC but now there are doubts again.

You draft a guy at 2OA and he doesn't light up the AHL while the guy at 3OA is looking good at the NHL level and you're going to get some people freaking out.

There is a time to freak out about prospects and some people have a shorter fuse than others. There's also guys that carry the torch until the prospect is playing in Europe. Even then you get some posters that are like "maybe Holloway will come back over and we can give him a shot".

Why do people keep saying this?

It's. Been. 7. Games.

Those doubts are currently completely unreasonable.

Edit: and like with the other comparison--Dach 'looking good' at the NHL level but was scoring at the Kyle Clifford pace. Zegras 'looking good' at the NHL level but scoring at a 20 point pace. How much stock are we supposed to put into 'looking good' vs. actual results? Because the complaints about our guys aren't that they look individually like shit. Turcotte certainly 'looks' like he should have more points. Byfield certainly as well.

I'm sorry but I find these criticisms incredibly uneven.

 

[tbrown33]

I get that it's natural to compare prospects to each other but you guys are gonna drive yourselves crazy if you keep this up much longer. Long ass way to go here.

 

[Eagle Fang]

Why do people keep saying this?

It's. Been. 7. Games.

Those doubts are currently completely unreasonable.

Edit: and like with the other comparison--Dach 'looking good' at the NHL level but was scoring at the Kyle Clifford pace. Zegras 'looking good' at the NHL level but scoring at a 20 point pace. How much stock are we supposed to put into 'looking good' vs. actual results? Because the complaints about our guys aren't that they look individually like shit. Turcotte certainly 'looks' like he should have more points. Byfield certainly as well.

I'm sorry but I find these criticisms incredibly uneven.

Yea but Turcotte can't drop the puck between his skates and make a slick back hand pass to setup a scoring chance. He can't even pass the puck well at all cause he has only 1a vs men in the AHL. Turcotte has no style and is therefore the lesser prospect after 7 games.

 

[BigKing]

Why do people keep saying this?

It's. Been. 7. Games.

Those doubts are currently completely unreasonable.

Edit: and like with the other comparison--Dach 'looking good' at the NHL level but was scoring at the Kyle Clifford pace. Zegras 'looking good' at the NHL level but scoring at a 20 point pace. How much stock are we supposed to put into 'looking good' vs. actual results? Because the complaints about our guys aren't that they look individually like shit. Turcotte certainly 'looks' like he should have more points. Byfield certainly as well.

I'm sorry but I find these criticisms incredibly uneven.

Sure. I'm just saying how it goes around here. The flip side is like I mentioned with like, I don't know, thinking that this is the year that LaDue breaks through.

Some jump ship based on small sample size while some go down with the ship and hold on to the bitter end. This isn't some new phenomenon amongst this or any fan base.

You are correct to not be out on Turcotte. Herby is correct to be down on him relative to his opinion at the draft--which was very high--and in relation to his opinion on Zegras. Both of you pick the stats you want to use to support your beliefs. We don't know who will be right until it all plays out but the one thing we do know is that all of us hope you are right: including Herby. Even now, Herby is saying he looks like a Larkin type player...a guy that has 73 and 63 point seasons on his resume.

In the end, Herby is down on him relative to at the draft because of his UW season and his AHL output so far. Is being worried after seven games unreasonable? Sure. Is not being worried at all unreasonable? Sure. Like many arguments on here (Mike Richards, DL/Sutter) the current prospects elicit a ton of emotion because our happiness as hockey fans relies on them reaching their potential.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Sure. I'm just saying how it goes around here. The flip side is like I mentioned with like, I don't know, thinking that this is the year that LaDue breaks through.

Some jump ship based on small sample size while some go down with the ship and hold on to the bitter end. This isn't some new phenomenon amongst this or any fan base.

You are correct to not be out on Turcotte. Herby is correct to be down on him relative to his opinion at the draft--which was very high--and in relation to his opinion on Zegras. Both of you pick the stats you want to use to support your beliefs. We don't know who will be right until it all plays out but the one thing we do know is that all of us hope you are right: including Herby. Even now, Herby is saying he looks like a Larkin type player...a guy that has 73 and 63 point seasons on his resume.

In the end, Herby is down on him relative to at the draft because of his UW season and his AHL output so far. Is being worried after seven games unreasonable? Sure. Is not being worried at all unreasonable? Sure. Like many arguments on here (Mike Richards, DL/Sutter) the current prospects elicit a ton of emotion because our happiness as hockey fans relies on them reaching their potential.

All of the above is great. I'm just digging in on the notion that's becoming a meme, that Turcotte is failing in the AHL, before it becomes a commonly regurgitated narrative, especially given the color allowed other prospects that aren't being afforded ours (ie "looking good" is a satisfactory metric for non-Kings prospects, apparently, production be damned).

Yeah me and Herby are having some philosophical disagreements and maybe in some ways we land towards either of the described poles...literally no one is saying don't be worried at all. Need to be able to have some discussion, after all. I just think it's a misguided point to lean into a guy with the full-on LABEL of 'not productive' in his first few days as a pro and to regurgitate it as if it's a fair discussion point. If we can extrapolate 7 games to the whole year, why not extrapolate 7 WJC games as well? Why not 7 college games scoring at a historic pace? It's choosy as hell. Even Herby and I have agreed 20 games is a fair mark. I'm not saying it's an exact science by any means but I CAN tell you that 7 games as a first time pro in a brand new system on a circus team isn't going to give you a lot of stuff to talk about in regards to an individual especially when all the 18 years olds are failing forward together.

And yeah I realize your response here is more meta, about our attachments to prospects and how we process the info and discuss--I just think some time periods are way too short to make sweeping proclamations. We're not talking about differences of years, here--ie your LaDue example, or hell, I gave up on Clague as of last year, as an example--but literally days/weeks for first year pros. That's all.

And really maybe my bigger beef is this comparison between teams that are in obviously different situations as well as the lack of perspective on what said players are even really bringing. Kirby Dach is getting fluffed pretty hard here--but he was on pace for 29 points. Zegras, same, he's on pace for 23. Do we really think Turcotte in the NHL couldn't do that at this point, or that he'd be so significantly worse that we're second guessing the pick? This is the same thing that happens when we talk about Iafallo, or bottom-six production in general--people lack perspective and so we have arguments against false premises.

 

[funky]

I just hope that Turcotte ends up being our modern version of a Stoll/good Mike Richards morph. I have him slated as an elite third line center that can play up a line if needed. I just don’t see the offensive potential in him that others do. Saying that he is still super young and I really hope he surprises me. I am still rooting for the kid, hope that he can put his injury woes behind him, and I would like to see him pack on about 10 more pounds.

Every one of our prospects have flaws, anyone of them could be a bust. But at the same time we have a massive cupboard of prospects, some showing elite talent. In the end not all will make it and we hope it’s the top and ones that live up to their hype.

This year is basically a development year for most. Learn what it takes to be a pro, learn the system, get to know your teammates, learn proper nutrition and strength training and just grow physically and mentally. If I see good health, growth throughout the year combined with these guys learning the desire to win I will call this year a success.

Next year is D2, D3 seasons for most or elite prospects. I expect them to come in prepared and willing to sacrifice everything they know to make the team

 

[Herby]

Sure. I'm just saying how it goes around here. The flip side is like I mentioned with like, I don't know, thinking that this is the year that LaDue breaks through.

Some jump ship based on small sample size while some go down with the ship and hold on to the bitter end. This isn't some new phenomenon amongst this or any fan base.

You are correct to not be out on Turcotte. Herby is correct to be down on him relative to his opinion at the draft--which was very high--and in relation to his opinion on Zegras. Both of you pick the stats you want to use to support your beliefs. We don't know who will be right until it all plays out but the one thing we do know is that all of us hope you are right: including Herby. Even now, Herby is saying he looks like a Larkin type player...a guy that has 73 and 63 point seasons on his resume.

In the end, Herby is down on him relative to at the draft because of his UW season and his AHL output so far. Is being worried after seven games unreasonable? Sure. Is not being worried at all unreasonable? Sure. Like many arguments on here (Mike Richards, DL/Sutter) the current prospects elicit a ton of emotion because our happiness as hockey fans relies on them reaching their potential.

Good post, and just to add, a lot of my down is also because of what is going on right now, this season, and it has nothing to do with how good or bad he is doing in the AHL. I am a big believer in following historical trends (not just for hockey either), and I think Blake made a mistake in not following the way that the vast majority of NCAA players who became stars in this league were previously handled by their clubs.

We can argue about how someone played, that is fine, people see things differently. But there have just been so few successful players who went the route the Kings are going with Turcotte, 1 year of college at 18, followed by a season in the AHL at 19 has usually done more damage than harm to a prospect. There have been some exceptions (Ryan Suter) And that is what really angered me about the whole situation. There have been plenty of elite guys who left after 1 year, but with a few exceptions almost all of those elite players left to immediately become NHL regulars, which I have said I have no problem with, if a guy is going to be a lock to play in the NHL he should go after 1 year, and should go after 2 regardless as he risks stunting his development playing further at a level he has dominated, if he wants to get an education go to summer school.

I think the AHL is a good league for older prospects, and I'm happy that the Kings have been able to build a successful pipeline with Manchester and now with Ontario, it's where you want your 20+ prospects to be if they aren't in the NHL, but it's track record with underage NCAA players should, IMO have given the Kings more pause. I don't believe it's a league that is optimal for the development of U-20 players.

 

[Steve Zissou]

Why do people keep saying this?

It's. Been. 7. Games.

I'm sorry but I find these criticisms incredibly uneven.

I'm sorry but you are pissing into the wind here.

All the people who COMPLETELY rode off Vilardi also can't see the forest from the trees.

 

[Herby]

I'm sorry but you are pissing into the wind here.

All the people who COMPLETELY rode off Vilardi also can't see the forest from the trees.

Who are these people? Is there like a known member(s) of this board who wrote off Vilardi?

 

[Steve Zissou]

Who are these people? Is there like a known member(s) of this board who wrote off Vilardi?

A whole gaggle of them, but it doesn't help to start listing members. There's zero reason for that.

I could EASILY go back and dig up at least half a page of really damning, venomous posts. I can’t believe people are really pretending that never happened. But what’s the point? Like @Statto said I’d rather people just enjoy it. I was just pointing out that I hope the people that DID make those posts find it within themselves to enjoy him instead of coming here to complain when he’s not successful Enough like people still constantly do with Kopitar, the not-so-hidden inexplicable vendettas that find people saying “yeah well _____ will never ____” where the 2nd blank is just the next highest achievement that keeps getting shattered.

Kid is awesome as hoped and crushed it on NHL ice. That’s a big achievement in itself worth celebrating in this shit show of a season.

There was definitely a huge contingent on here who felt the need to tell the rest of us that he would never play again every time there was a positive update. It was pretty damn annoying because we couldn't even talk about him without the keyboard doctors explaining that he was done as a prospect and would never skate again.

I think the moral of the story is, it's okay to be optimistic or cautious, but it's silly to write off the career of an 18, 19, 20 year-old when you don't know the details.

That said, he came as advertised and I couldn't be happier for him.

"He’s a bust these injuries are just gonna make him slower , both physically n mentally . Bust as in he won’t live up to the hype"

"To project him as a bust is very logical actually. He's in his teens with reoccurring injuries that he seemingly can't escape from"

"I think the notion that his mental has gone downhill due to injuries is even worse than if he just had consistent injuries. In my humble opinion, kid is toast."

"I can just see a scenerio where he final breaks into the league with another team as like a 24 year old."

"I have a feeling at some point LA will say his rights are not worth a contract spot, he will resurface elsewhere and be a stud."

"Is Vilardi even going to be able to live up to any of his hype."

"At this rate I hope he can be at least a decent 3rd or 4th line center . He was supposed to be an elite 1st liner now looks as though bottom 6 might be a miracle"

"Kings fans really need to just erase this name from their synapses. Vilardi will be lucky to live a life where he can tie his shoes without agony. Playing professional hockey is totally absurd. We swung and completely missed and lost a first round pick. Tragedy happens. Just move on."

 

[cyclones22]

That 100% happened here with Vilardi. The most annoying part was that they didn't know shit about the extent of the injury or treatment but were speaking with an air of certainty that they were right and crapped on anyone who was hopeful of his return to the ice. I don't spare clowns like that, sorry. You don't get to hide behind oh can't we just celebrate the success together rather than show receipts of stupid I was repeatedly and shoved it down your throats? Nah.

 

[BondraTime]

That and the knock against Rossi was that he was a half inch too short to be a difference maker. Seriously. lol.

There were more than a few people critiquing that suggested 5'10" Perfetti was a fine top 5 pick and Rossi shoudln't break the top 10...then at the combine their official measurements were something like Rossi 5'9.5" and Perfetti 5'9.75" lol.

There was no combine

 

[No Name The Nameless]

Byfield is going to be on the Kings next season. I can't see him going back to the OHL. Maybe he starts on Gabe's wing or JAD's instead of at Center. Take some of the responsibility away as a 19 year old and let him be a little more free offensively. Once he gets used to game speed and physicality then you can move him back to the middle.

I do not see any scenario where he can play in the NHL next year if the King's are actually trying to be successful. He is not close to being used to the AHL speed and physicality. There are times where you can practically hear his brain when he has the pick. He questions his ability to get around defenders standing up so he just makes a pass or skates the puck right into them.
Let's not stunt the kid.

 

[KingsCourt]

Boy tough crowd ...5 months after drafting the kid, he's a bust because a recently turned 18 yr old is not lighting up a chippy/unstructured league like the AHL.
If he was in the OHL he'd be lighting it up and everyone would crowning him the second coming

TS was a closest player ready to play in NHL as there was in the draft, QB was going to take some time (everyone said it).
Kings made a decision, that the potential for QB is too good pass up.
QB needs to add weight and muscle to his huge frame, that won't happen in the 5 months.
Best thing that could have happened is QB playing the AHL under Kings control (vs OHL).

Can't compare to any other year, his development was stagnate for about 9 months, while a guy like TS resumed playing much earlier and in a men's league.

 

[No Name The Nameless]

That 100% happened here with Vilardi. The most annoying part was that they didn't know shit about the extent of the injury or treatment but were speaking with an air of certainty that they were right and crapped on anyone who was hopeful of his return to the ice. I don't spare clowns like that, sorry. You don't get to hide behind oh can't we just celebrate the success together rather than show receipts of stupid I was repeatedly and shoved it down your throats? Nah.

"You don't spare clowns"
Wtf is this shit? Lol.
You can't be a tough guy if you are responding to an ally. That's like telling your buddies that you would have kicked someone's ass.
"Show receipts of stupid". "Don't spare clowns". I want you to dig it up. I'd be interested in seeing your interpretation of stupid while allowing the person to debate you.

Can't wait Cyclones22.

"They were so macho"- Big Earl

 

[funky]

I do not see any scenario where he can play in the NHL next year if the King's are actually trying to be successful. He is not close to being used to the AHL speed and physicality. There are times where you can practically hear his brain when he has the pick. He questions his ability to get around defenders standing up so he just makes a pass or skates the puck right into them.
Let's not stunt the kid.

thats my worry with QB as well. It’s like they gave us the newest most powerful computer in the store and when we got it home we realized it’s only equipped for dial up. Doesn’t matter how big or fast the guy is, if the connection isn’t there it’s not going to be able to live up to its capabilities

 

[No Name The Nameless]

thats my worry with QB as well. It’s like they gave us the newest most powerful computer in the store and when we got it home we realized it’s only equipped for dial up. Doesn’t matter how big or fast the guy is, if the connection isn’t there it’s not going to be able to live up to its capabilities

It will get there. We just need patience in his development. Don't rush him. Let him dominate the OHL. Come back to the AHL next year and then see where we are at

 

[HookKing]

Boy tough crowd ...5 months after drafting the kid, he's a bust because a recently turned 18 yr old is not lighting up a chippy/unstructured league like the AHL.
If he was in the OHL he'd be lighting it up and everyone would crowning him the second coming

TS was a closest player ready to play in NHL as there was in the draft, QB was going to take some time (everyone said it).
Kings made a decision, that the potential for QB is too good pass up.
QB needs to add weight and muscle to his huge frame, that won't happen in the 5 months.
Best thing that could have happened is QB playing the AHL under Kings control (vs OHL).

Can't compare to any other year, his development was stagnate for about 9 months, while a guy like TS resumed playing much earlier and in a men's league.

No he wasn't. Talk about re-writing history.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

No he wasn't. Talk about re-writing history.

Maybe not “the most ready” but he was certainly talked about as “one of the most ready.” For example: 2020 Draft: Lafreniere, Stuetzle should make jump right into NHL