Kings can sign Quintin Byfield to a long-term deal this off-season
When the Los Angeles Kings drafted Quintin Byfield with the second pick of the 2020 NHL Draft, the expectation was that he would become the future of the franchise.
Unfortunately, he didn't break into the NHL the same way that Auston Matthews or Connor McDavid did. However, this past season, he got the opportunity and made the most of it.
Quickly, he became one of the best players on the roster and moved up the ranks as a fan favourite.
This past season was both his "welcome to the NHL" and his breakout season. He had 20 goals and 35 assists for 55 points in 80 games; before that, his NHL career-high was 22 points in 2022–23.
His play last season should have the Kings' fans excited about what he can do in the seasons ahead. He should also be a good replacement for Anze Kopitar when he decides to retire.
The Kings' GM, Rob Blake, has a chance this off-season to lock up Byfield long-term as he is an RFA. Blake's initial offer to Byfield's camp should be in the neighbourhood of $6 million over eight seasons.
Byfield's representatives may counter with $7 million over eight seasons, which would likely mean they would land somewhere in the $6.5 million range over eight seasons.
Regardless of the AAV, they need to attempt to make this a long-term deal instead of a bridge deal. The reason for this is that if the AAV is $6.5 million over the eight seasons, by year four or five, his cap hit will be considered a valued contract in the NHL, especially if he can up his point production to 70+.