Toggle sidebar

Prospect Info: Quinton Byfield (2nd Overall 2020 Draft) Discussion part II

  • Work is still on-going to rebuild the site styling and features. Please report any issues you may experience so we can look into it. Click Here for Updates
Herby said:
I'm not saying he would have been better last year. I'm saying we would have gotten through a lot the crap he is fighting through this year out of the way in a throw away year, and not in a season where the team is fighting for a playoff spot. Byfield being lost last year would have meant nothing to the Kings, where this year it's hurting the team on the ice in meaningful games.

And yes, there are proven paths to developing players taken that high, and it almost always involves playing in the NHL at 18. You think I am BS'ing go back and look for yourself at players taken as high as QB over the past decade, how many played in a league that wasn't the NHL in their D+1? Just like with the 2 years in college thing for good to great (but not elite) prospects, it's the most successful path. But Rob Blake didn't seem to care in either case. Again maybe one day we will find out why.
Click to expand...
Maybe it was about his ELC kicking in
 
Interesting take from eliteprospects on Byfield ability to move the puck ".. fantastic transporter of the puck .." (edit: i realize this is scouting from his draft year)

'Where most skaters seek out space; Byfield carries the puck like a power running back in the NFL. Blessed with a 6-foot-4 frame, explosive skating stride, and extremely gifted hands, this is a player who always wants the puck on his stick. A fantastic transporter of the puck, deploying a wide array of rush patterns to adjust to defensive fronts' -EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide
 
AbsentMojo said:
Interesting take from eliteprospects on Byfield ability to move the puck ".. fantastic transporter of the puck .." (edit: i realize this is scouting from his draft year)

'Where most skaters seek out space; Byfield carries the puck like a power running back in the NFL. Blessed with a 6-foot-4 frame, explosive skating stride, and extremely gifted hands, this is a player who always wants the puck on his stick. A fantastic transporter of the puck, deploying a wide array of rush patterns to adjust to defensive fronts' -EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide
Click to expand...

I mean that's accurate, it's jsut going to take much more time to develop at the NHL level, look at Kempe doing this for example, he's nigh unstoppable in the neutral zone getting controlled entries now, but before there was as much chance that he'd flub it as there was he'd gain entry, controlled or not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AbsentMojo
Raccoon Jesus said:
I mean that's accurate, it's jsut going to take much more time to develop at the NHL level, look at Kempe doing this for example, he's nigh unstoppable in the neutral zone getting controlled entries now, but before there was as much chance that he'd flub it as there was he'd gain entry, controlled or not.
Click to expand...
Yes... Im certain he will get it back. Seen a lot of comments that question his ability to carry the puck and I dont blame that opinion based on his recent play. I just wanted to share that report to make it clear the guy has the puck carrying skills. Weve seen in the O, and a quite a few times in the A. I think being a center adds to his mental and physical workload that make the development slower: faceoffs, more defensive responsibility and playing lower in the d-zone means more skating and less breakaway chances. I wouldnt be upset if they moved him to the wing for awhile if things dont progress.
 
AbsentMojo said:
Yes... Im certain he will get it back. Seen a lot of comments that question his ability to carry the puck and I dont blame that opinion based on his recent play. I just wanted to share that report to make it clear the guy has the puck carrying skills. Weve seen in the O, and a quite a few times in the A. I think being a center adds to his mental and physical workload that make the development slower: faceoffs, more defensive responsibility and playing lower in the d-zone means more skating and less breakaway chances. I wouldnt be upset if they moved him to the wing for awhile if things dont progress.
Click to expand...

Maybe Vilardi back to center and Byfield to the wing? Just a thought......
 
  • Like
Reactions: AbsentMojo
Herby said:
The Kings should have been assertive that Turcotte return to school, work on his shot (1 goal in 21 conference games) and to take advantage of the lighter schedule and live in the world-class weight room to gain weight.
Click to expand...
AHL schedules most of their games on weekends too. He would've had a similar "lighter schedule" and a world-class weight room to work on his game and body.
I think the injuries have been the biggest factor in his development. Now, are the injuries because he's playing in the AHL against the pros? We'll never know for sure.

Regarding Byfield, there's always been a large contingent that thought their lottery picks who have nothing more to gain in juniors and aren't quite ready for the NHL, should be allowed to play in the AHL.
There are GMs or NHL people who always wanted to do it and you saw a lot of that last year with other top 10 picks (not top 3 obviously).
If only looking at top 3 picks, compared to Lafreniere, who played in the NHL to start, is Byfield any worse off right now in their D+2 seasons? Not sure.
Is Stutzle a better player in his second NHL season? Not sure either.

I think there's something to be said about the Kings development system for skilled forwards just by looking at their recent history since the Lombardi era.
But I'm not so sure the "path" they had these guys on were necessarily incorrect.
They've had a bunch of guys on "conventional" development paths, and only Simmonds, Schenn, Toffoli and Kempe(hopefully?) has become top 6 forwards. And 2 of them didn't turn into one until they left the organization.
I still think Turcotte can turn into a very good 2C in a couple of years especially if he can stop getting injured.
And I think Byfield will still overcome whatever bad development he gets because top 3 picks usually do that. He just needs a longer stick.
 
The stick thing.

If they feel that is holding him back and insisted he changed it they won’t just change the length of the stick fully overnight. They will make incremental changes to it so they don’t throw him off too much. It might explain some of the stickhandling issues he is having whilst he gets used to it. That’s definitely how I would play it, take him to the full length stick for his height over the remainder of the season.

I do have a little experience studying and coaching stick handling. I’m no expert but I found that changes sometimes need to be step by step and not in one go. Sometimes they do it often depends on the player and/or the issue. Does that apply at the pro level? I’d think probably even more so.

It’s similar with other sports like and cricket. Technique changes can take time.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: RaymondReddington, Raccoon Jesus, AbsentMojo and 1 other person
Welp I thought he was ready. Obviously not quite yet as he's looked pretty bad. He did struggle early on in ONT too though
 
ru4reals said:
Byfield this summer needs to sit down watch hours of tape of Alex Barkov and how he uses that freakin mile long stick and practice every day because that Blake Lizotte stick is not working. It's like he all of a sudden forgot how to stickhandle a puck. LOL.
Click to expand...
Growing pains.
 
ru4reals said:
Byfield this summer needs to sit down watch hours of tape of Alex Barkov and how he uses that freakin mile long stick and practice every day because that Blake Lizotte stick is not working. It's like he all of a sudden forgot how to stickhandle a puck. LOL.
Click to expand...

Do we have definitive proof that Blake Lizotte's stick isn't longer than Byfield's?
 
  • Like
Reactions: AbsentMojo, ibleedkings, ru4reals and 1 other person
It's early, the results are disappointing so far with Byfield. His helter skelter style of play with the puck has not translated well to this level. With his late birthday, he's very young, but you want to start seeing some improvement. Occassional flashes of what he could be. So far the 2020 draft is a crap shoot, we won't get a better idea for several more years, but I'd say at this early stage Lafreniere and Byfield have been disappointments, and Lafreniere is scoring at 2X the rate of Byfield to date. Best picks with results so far are Stutzle, Raymond, Drysdale, Lundell, Jarvis and Mercer with Raymond and Lundell being the most productive.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: AbsentMojo and Fat Elvis
Yup, agree with many of the comments here on Q. Kid doesn’t just look in over his head, he looks bad. Someone better be talking this kid daily, maybe even a sports psychologist. Sending him to Ontario is the right move right now.
Try a 3rd line of Lias-GV-AI
 
  • Like
Reactions: Peter James Bond II
He has not heart and he has no balls. Give him BL’s drive and passion and he’s a top 5 guy in the league.
 
Need to tie off his nuts like a rodeo bull imo

Not in the NHL yet of course but I can see why he restrained his hitting before, the few highlights he had where he got mad and checked someone he damn near killed them. He'll surely learn that won't be the case vs. other grown men trying to kill him.
 
Ive seen enough of QB now where I think he'd be better served in Ontario to work on specific things - e.g. try to use his body more to protect the puck Kopi style than stick handle around guys so he can get through the neutral zone without a turnover. Id also have him play wing so he could slot in there and at least know his defensive and breakout assignments. For his line, I think GV looked much better on faceoffs since his call up - id put him at center maybe Lisa Andersson at the other wing.
 
He needs to put on weight, get an adult stick, sees a sports psychologist, and work on a lot of his skills. He looks like talentless out there. If this is mental, it’s scary he’s sunk this low. Don’t care about his age as much as I care about the fact he was taken overall. I’d love to see some glimpses of him being justified taken there but You see nothing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SaltyElkHunter
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom