The LA Kings have signed Quinton Byfield to a five-year extension price a mean annual worth of $6.25 million. The 21-year-old restricted free agent had his breakout 12 months in 2023-24, scoring 20 objectives and 55 factors.
Byfield was chosen second total within the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, and after endurance from the Kings group, he made the leap to a full-time NHL participant final season. Byfield performed in elements of three seasons earlier than making that transition, but it surely seems to be like it’ll repay in his long-term improvement.
As a 6-foot-5 heart, Byfield had an simple quantity of expertise, however mixing that collectively along with his measurement and different skills, taking an additional 12 months or two is frequent for a participant along with his toolset.
Kings May Get Discount From This Deal
Inking Byfield to a five-year deal stored the worth decrease than it could have been on a maximum-term deal of eight years. Byfield, who grabbed ahold of an even bigger function because the season progressed, is simply scratching the floor of what he’s able to. His offensive skillset, whether or not or not it’s his harmful shot or inventive playmaking, is sure to take one other step as quickly because the 2024-25 season.
Paying a younger, gifted ahead $6.25 million with the real looking hopes of him being round a point-per-game participant for all 5 years of the deal is unbelievable worth. As talked about, the five-year time period helped maintain the cap hit decrease than it might have been, and this contract buys one 12 months of unrestricted free agent (UFA) rights.
Associated: Predicting Quinton Byfield’s Subsequent Contract With the Kings
When the contract expires, Byfield can be a 26-year-old UFA, which could possibly be a little bit of a pink flag when analyzing the contract, however all indicators level in the direction of Byfield liking the Kings group and that isn’t a difficulty to fret about for now.
Byfield is a pure heart however is prone to find yourself as a winger on the highest line alongside Anze Kopitar for almost all of his deal. The Kings’ heart depth is a few of the greatest within the league, and with Phillip Danault taking the shut-down function, Byfield can be more practical on the wing than deeper within the lineup at heart.
Kopitar has two seasons left on his deal, bringing him to 38 years outdated. This can be an ideal transition time for Byfield to actually set up himself as a star after which take excessive heart function for the Kings. A mid-term size deal wasn’t one thing many individuals speculated on, however there are a variety of positives to take from the five-year deal. A bridge deal to let him set up himself extra might have price the crew upwards of $3 million on his subsequent contract, whereas a long-term deal comes with extra danger, however might have paid off.
Each the Kings and Byfield ought to be proud of this deal, as ought to the fanbase. Once more, the one pink flag is that it brings him to UFA standing, however that isn’t one thing to be involved about 5 years forward of time.
