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

[YP44]

OHL Board is meeting today with province. Sounds like expectation is for a season to be announced.

 

[King'sPawn]

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

Lafreniere was considered NHL ready, but Stutzle would be ready much sooner than Byfield.

 

[bland]

Lafreniere was considered NHL ready, but Stutzle would be ready much sooner than Byfield.

Stützle's strengths and style of play were the easiest to translate directly into the NHL. That's the part that has been working for him thus far. Lafreniere plays a completely different game from the same position, and it was always going to take a little bit longer for him to click. Byfield is a couple of years away from having the strengths of his game shine through.

But the real point that has developed around here over the past couple of days is that unrealistic expectations lead directly to irrational theories.

 

[KopitarFAN]

OHL Board is meeting today with province. Sounds like expectation is for a season to be announced.

With no postseason, so does that mean A) they are gonna play < 20 games and pack it in, or B) Let the whole league play into June.

If "A", might as well keep Byfield in the NHL and play 6 games, if B, they can justify letting him go back and play what could be 30+ games.

 

[YP44]

With no postseason, so does that mean A) they are gonna play < 20 games and pack it in, or B) Let the whole league play into June.

If "A", might as well keep Byfield in the NHL and play 6 games, if B, they can justify letting him go back and play what could be 30+ games.

mix it up.
Call him up to play 6 games, send him to the OHL and then when the OHL is done I wonder if he would be allowed to play AHL if it is still going.
At the end of the day whatever path see's him on the ice the most is likely the best. he would have to quarantine for 14 days which is a long time to be off the ice.

 

[BigKing]

mix it up.
Call him up to play 6 games, send him to the OHL and then when the OHL is done I wonder if he would be allowed to play AHL if it is still going.
At the end of the day whatever path see's him on the ice the most is likely the best. he would have to quarantine for 14 days which is a long time to be off the ice.

I don't think they can stash him on the taxi squad because you have to be AHL eligible, which is a shame. I'd probably prefer him get the six games up here and practice with the team instead of getting 20 games of OHL play. I suppose you could carry him as a healthy scratch but that can cause other roster issues.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I don't think they can stash him on the taxi squad because you have to be AHL eligible, which is a shame. I'd probably prefer him get the six games up here and practice with the team instead of getting 20 games of OHL play. I suppose you could carry him as a healthy scratch but that can cause other roster issues.

Amen. Especially if there's no playoffs/memorial cup, because it's the intensity of competition we want to forge him in at this point, not picking on some brokeass non future NHLers that haven't skated in a year.

 

[YP44]

I don't think they can stash him on the taxi squad because you have to be AHL eligible, which is a shame. I'd probably prefer him get the six games up here and practice with the team instead of getting 20 games of OHL play. I suppose you could carry him as a healthy scratch but that can cause other roster issues.

didn't say anything about taxi squad.

 

[HookKing]

Am I the only one that thinks TMac wouldn't play him? Especially considering the Kings are in the playoff hunt.

 

[BigKing]

didn't say anything about taxi squad.

I know you didn't. I was just stating that it sucks they can't put him on it so he can stay with the team.

@HookKing As for T-Mac...he would play him. Every prospect worth a damn that has been called up has seen at least a game this season. T-Mac didn't get a five year contract to not be on board with Management's development plan. It also means that he has decent job security. He doesn't have to make the playoffs this season to save his job.

 

[cyclones22]

I'm not a fan of some of TMc's lineup decisions sometimes (Amadios!), but for the most part, I think he's done a very good job of integrating youth and putting them in a position to succeed.

 

[HookKing]

I know you didn't. I was just stating that it sucks they can't put him on it so he can stay with the team.

@HookKing As for T-Mac...he would play him. Every prospect worth a damn that has been called up has seen at least a game this season. T-Mac didn't get a five year contract to not be on board with Management's development plan. It also means that he has decent job security. He doesn't have to make the playoffs this season to save his job.

The last thing the Kings need to do now is destroy his confidence by getting him in way over his head. The kid isn't anywhere near ready for the NHL -- moreover, In the AHL he's dead last (by a considerable margin) in +/-. The NHL is not a development league.

 

[BigKing]

The last thing the Kings need to do now is destroy his confidence by getting him in way over his head. The kid isn't anywhere near ready for the NHL -- moreover, In the AHL he's dead last (by a considerable margin) in +/-. The NHL is not a development league.

Kaliyev came in, scored a goal and did not look out of place. He isn't lighting it up down in Ontario either.

He can play some games this year and it won't be bad for his development. If getting a taste of the NHL at 18 to see what it is like destroys his confidence if he plays poorly, well, we are in trouble with this prospect regardless.

 

[HookKing]

Kaliyev came in, scored a goal and did not look out of place. He isn't lighting it up down in Ontario either.

He can play some games this year and it won't be bad for his development. If getting a taste of the NHL at 18 to see what it is like destroys his confidence if he plays poorly, well, we are in trouble with this prospect regardless.

I will be shocked if QB gets a call up. AK is just a -2 on arguably the worst team in AHL history. He is also more mature than QB and got 1 whole game. He was also playing quite well when called up.

 

[cyclones22]

Kaliyev came in, scored a goal and did not look out of place. He isn't lighting it up down in Ontario either.

He can play some games this year and it won't be bad for his development. If getting a taste of the NHL at 18 to see what it is like destroys his confidence if he plays poorly, well, we are in trouble with this prospect regardless.

Although Byfield has a lot of development to do, I agree that he should see a cup of coffee for a game or 2 just so he can see what training, practice and game speed is like at an NHL level. He's not terrible defensively and his +/- doesn't mean he's constantly lost. I've watched every Reign game. Just like Stutzle's 7th worst in the league +/- isn't indicative, right? I have faith that if he gets a few games, TMc will not put him in a situation to "ruin" him.

 

[BigKing]

I will be shocked if QB gets a call up. AK is just a -2 on arguably the worst team in AHL history. He is also more mature than QB and got 1 whole game. He was also playing quite well when called up.

We'll see. I'll be shocked if the Kings don't take advantage of being able to let him see what NHL game speed is like: especially since he's been playing a lot of minutes in the AHL already.

I don't know how we judge maturity between Kaliyev and Byfield. The former is 14 months older and has an extra year of OHL under his belt but the latter has been a highly touted Canadian prospect for the majority of his life. Regardless, AK got a game so why not Byfield? I've watched these Reign games and there is basically zero downside to him getting in an NHL game before sending him back to the OHL. If he can't survive around 10 minutes of ice time in an NHL game as the #2OA pick at his size, then we have a problem.

 

[Rorschach]

Although Byfield has a lot of development to do, I agree that he should see a cup of coffee for a game or 2 just so he can see what training, practice and game speed is like at an NHL level. He's not terrible defensively and his +/- doesn't mean he's constantly lost. I've watched every Reign game. Just like Stutzle's 7th worst in the league +/- isn't indicative, right? I have faith that if he gets a few games, TMc will not put him in a situation to "ruin" him.

Yup, this isn't the Senators. We have a reasonably good team in the NHL, we can fully develop our top prospect and give him NHL tastes purely based on developmental benefits and not to fill seats in the arena/pump up TV numbers.

As a bigtime Stutzle fan, I'm really worried about him playing on the Sens and turning into a strangely developed player sort of like Karlsson was. I'm not worried about that at all with Byfield, so far.

 

[YP44]

Yup, this isn't the Senators. We have a reasonably good team in the NHL, we can fully develop our top prospect and give him NHL tastes purely based on developmental benefits and not to fill seats in the arena/pump up TV numbers.

As a bigtime Stutzle fan, I'm really worried about him playing on the Sens and turning into a strangely developed player sort of like Karlsson was. I'm not worried about that at all with Byfield, so far.

I also look at Kakko. I was pissed the rangers jumped up to get him. Now I am wondering if they are wrecking him.

 

[Rorschach]

I also look at Kakko. I was pissed the rangers jumped up to get him. Now I am wondering if they are wrecking him.

Come to think of it...yeah. Is Laf in a similar situation? I'm looking at these long-ass contracts we gave to Brown, Quick, Kopitar and Doughty (Carter in the mix too)...and I'm thinking, maybe this isn't too bad of a situation as others like to make it out.

Giving our prospects a taste of what Cup winning professionalism and performance is like, and totally taking the pressure off of them to win, just to develop...

 

[YP44]

Come to think of it...yeah. Is Laf in a similar situation? I'm looking at these long-ass contracts we gave to Brown, Quick, Kopitar and Doughty (Carter in the mix too)...and I'm thinking, maybe this isn't too bad of a situation as others like to make it out.

Giving our prospects a taste of what Cup winning professionalism and performance is like, and totally taking the pressure off of them to win, just to develop...

you need some vets. I do think Blake tried to trade Quick before Campbell, but I am glad everyone else is here.

 

[KingsCourt]

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

Not rewriting anything go read the reviews..either closest or one of the closet is splitting hairs ..my point is everyone knew TS was more ready than QB in year 1

Talking like QB is bust is just asinine!

 

[HookKing]

Not rewriting anything go read the reviews..either closest or one of the closet is splitting hairs ..my point is everyone knew TS was more ready than QB in year 1

Talking like QB is bust is just asinine!

I never said QB is a bust. And go back and read what he wrote. TS was not the closest to being ready and it wasn't even that close.

 

[YP44]

I never said QB is a bust. And go back and read what he wrote. TS was not the closest to being ready and it wasn't even that close.

i mostly read the athletic guys and before the draft that had Stutzle as more ready than QB.

 

[tbrown33]

Wasn't the consensus that Stutzle was the most NHL ready of the three since he had been playing pro hockey for a year already? I know Laff was deemed "NHL ready" but he hadn't been playing against pros yet.

 

[YP44]

Wasn't the consensus that Stutzle was the most NHL ready of the three since he had been playing pro hockey for a year already? I know Laff was deemed "NHL ready" but he hadn't been playing against pros yet.

I remember it being between him and Laf with Byfield being a year or two.