Byfield finally living up to hype with Kings
The Edmonton Oilers might be the hated foe for most Los Angeles Kings' players after two straight heated playoff runs, but for Quinton Byfield, there's a tug at his heartstrings as he looks across the hall.
His longtime agent Jeff Jackson, who first took on Byfield as a 14-year-old in Ontario, is in his first year as Oilers' CEO of hockey ops. And Byfield has also worked out in the summer with Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Jackson's most illustrious former client.
But once the puck was dropped Monday night, the friendships were put aside for the 21-year-old Byfield, who is the poster boy for rush to judgment, as the 2020 second overall draft pick is now on pace for 60 points in his breakthrough NHL season. He was a centre in junior, now he's an NHL winger with 42 points (18 goals) in 54 games today. When Kings captain Anze Kopitar, his oftimes linemate and mentor, eventually retires, Byfield could easily move back to the middle.
“It sucks that he's (Jackson) not my agent any more. I've known him forever. He was my agent starting in minor midget. I think I was 14. But I wish him well,” said Byfield, who now has Dave Gagner as his agent.
“I wasn't too surprised when it (moving into management here) happened, because he's Connor's agent and he had a lot of guys on Edmonton. He had also worked in it (as assistant general manager and director of hockey operations with the Maple Leafs) before.”
Byfield only played six NHL games his first year after being drafted in 2020. The next season, he broke his ankle and was in COVID-19 protocol for two months. Last season, he had just three goals and 22 points in 53 L.A. games and 16 in the minors, but was quietly playing with two sprained wrists.
He was very good in the sixgame playoff against the Oilers last spring with four points.
The third overall pick in 2020, Tim Stutzle, clearly broke in much quicker and had 90 points last season with the Ottawa Senators. But this season it's evened out, with 42 points for Byfield and 53 for the German-born Stutzle.
“Took some time. COVID didn't help, also injuries. I was feeling my way,” said Byfield, who was only a month away (Sept. 15) from not being eligible for the 2020 draft. “It takes time to get used to the NHL speed, also lots of travel. Now it's starting to come.”
Kings defenceman Drew Doughty was a believer in Byfield, even if he didn't break into the NHL with a bang like Stutzle.
“I always knew this was going to happen with Q. A lot of people were crapping on a second overall (pick) not producing,” said Doughty. “You come into the league and there's so many things thrown at you (as a teenager) and that (playing against men) is one of them. But he's huge. It was just getting his confidence and playing minutes.”
“There's not too many 6-foot-5 guys who care about defence like he does. He works harder than so many players in this league. He's good at stripping pucks and he's got the rest of his game going, the dangling, the scoring.”
Byfield's skating has always been above average for a 225-pound kid, but he's also worked a couple of years with Barb Underhill, the former world champion figure skater, now Tampa's skating coach, on his skating stride, his crossovers and his power.
“She's helped me keep my posture up, more upright ... also working on my edges,” said Byfield. “Using my size and speed with my length.”
“I got on the ice with him (first session) and I was kind of blown away by his athleticism, but at the same time the lack of control that he had over his body,” Underhill told the Kings Royalty website months ago.