Quinton Byfield should be a big contributor next season
After a playoff appearance, the Kings are gearing up to be competitive again next season. Playing in Los Angeles, the players are always in the spotlight, but one underrated player may be the key to the Kings' success.
Quinton Byfield has not lived up to the hype after being a second overall pick in the 2020 draft. Things might change for the 20-year-old as he enters his third full season.
According to Bleacher Report, Byfield is the Kings' hidden weapon coming into the 2023-2024 season.
-Can a recent No. 2 overall pick really be considered a secret weapon? Because you expect that player to be a star for you, especially a few years into their career.But in the case of Byfield and the Kings, it might be true.Byfield has yet to reach his potential in Los Angeles and is now finding himself in a situation where the Kings have a trio of established, high-level centers ahead of him in Anze Kopitar, Philip Danault and Pierre-Luc Dubois. But maybe that is the sort of situation he needs to start finding his place in the NHL. The Kings' newfound center depth could result in a permanent shift to wing where he might be able to focus more on his offensive game. A move to the wing could give him a chance to play on a top line with a talented veteran next to him (as in any of the Kings' current centers) that can not only help drive possession, but also take some of the defensive pressure off of him.
With the Kings' having three elite centers in its lineup, including Anze Kopitar, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Phillip Danault, Byfiled will most likely make a position change to the wing.
Playing next to one of these three players will open up Byfield's offensive game more than it has in his career. In 99 career games, Byfield has only scored eight goals.
The Kings can become a serious championship contender if Byfield could become a big part of the team's offense.