Being selected second overall comes with hefty expectations. It was a burden that Drew Doughty felt when he was drafted second overall in 2008.
Quinton Byfield was drafted to a once-two-time Stanley Cup franchise that has yet to find success during the playoffs since their Cup runs. The Kings have been derailed in three straight seasons by the Edmonton Oilers.
There is hope in their former second-overall pick. During the pandemic, Byfield was fortunate to skip the AHL age barrier and accelerate his development in the pro game. He, unfortunately, fractured his ankle to start the 21-22 season in preseason; he didn't light up the league upon his return but started to find the pace of the NHL.
Over the last one and a half seasons, Byfield has found a home playing alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. This shift in his role, which occurred during the 22-23 season, marked the end of the fun line of Vilardi-Byfield-Iafallo. It also signified the last time Byfield was a center, anchoring a line in the NHL.
In the 43 games Q was inserted to the top line that season, he scored three goals and added 16 assists for 19 points and an excellent +14. In 40 games post-injury the season prior, he had five goals and five assists as a -7.
The franchise stuck to the plan, keeping Byfield on the top line. The same formula to what immediately gave rewards for Kempe, who had been misused for years in the middle and bottom six. Once given proper deployment, Kempe flourished with a 35-goal breakout season.
Byfield's first entire season on the top line: 20 goals, 35 assists for 55 points, and a +19. Kings' management with a rare 'sticking to what works'.
The upcoming season holds significant weight for Byfield. It will be his first time leading a line at center since his move to Kopitar's wing.
Moreover, he is on the brink of signing a pivotal contract, either a bridge deal or a long-term one, solidifying his position as the franchise's next cornerstone.
Byfield indicated he is looking forward to the next step in his end-of-season media availability, "I feel like I've always taken strides each year, so next year, I definitely want to take even more of a step, elevate my game, be a factor each night. It's a long season, but most nights I want to be a guy that you can count on for defensive plays and offense."
Byfield is still incredibly young and has started getting his feet under him in the NHL. His ice time has increased by an average of two minutes a season since he began to deploy full-time in 21-22. He has become a dominant force when he's on, showing flashes of why he was a slam dunk option at second overall.
With another full season on the horizon, the added responsibility back at the center, and a new contract to live up to, Byfield could turn the tide on what looks to be an obscure season.
If he's one of, if not the go-to centers to deploy this upcoming season, then there's hope for this franchise. If he's deployed as the 3C behind both Danault and Kopitar, then management has receded in their logic to promote the growth of Byfield.
Regardless of the new contract that should be arriving soon, the future cornerstone of the franchise carries the weight of possibly turning a mediocre season into a plausibly successful one.