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Quinton Byfield

Quinton Byfield Recalled To Taxi Squad

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Though they made a valiant effort this season, the Los Angeles Kings have fallen out of the playoff race in the West Division once again. The team has gone 3-7 in their last ten and now sit seven points behind the Arizona Coyotes with the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues in between. With that in mind, it’s time to give some playing time and experience to their young prospects, most notably Quinton Byfield.

The second-overall pick has been recalled to the NHL taxi squad for the first time this season. He is coming up from the Ontario Reign along with Lias Andersson, while Boko Imama has been reassigned back to the AHL.

Despite being just 18 and not usually eligible to play in the AHL, Byfield has been able to spend the entire season honing his craft at the professional level with the Reign thanks to the OHL’s shutdown. That gave the 6’4″ center a chance to get his feet wet at the minor league level without as much pressure, and he responded with eight goals and 20 points in 30 games. While that’s not putting him on any leaderboards, Byfield’s long-term development is the important thing here and he has shown steps already.

He scored just one goal through his first 15 games for Ontario but then went on an impressive five-game scoring streak in late March. While there is still inconsistency in his play, a chance to taste the NHL at the end of this season will only help him down the road.

For those Kings fans worried about burning the first year of his entry-level contract, Byfield would need to play in more than seven NHL games down the stretch to have it kick in for 2021-22.

Kings Notes: Cap Space, Iafallo, Prospects, Kempe

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Kings GM Rob Blake held court with reporters earlier this week (video link) in advance of training camp and shared some insight on his plans for the upcoming season and some of his younger players.  Here are some of the highlights.

  • The team is open to doing like Ottawa did recently to leverage their cap space into adding another asset and Blake mentioned that they have had some discussions with teams on that front. Los Angeles currently has more than $12MM in cap room, per CapFriendly, giving them ample space on that front to bring a player or two in.  Having said that, Blake stated that he doesn’t expect any other roster additions at this time.
  • There have been no discussions yet regarding a contract extension for winger Alex Iafallo. The 27-year-old is in the final year of his deal that carries a $2.425MM AAV and he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer.  Iafallo has improved his offensive production each season and finished second in team scoring in 2019-20 with 17 goals and 26 assists in 70 games.  Even with the financial situation as a result of the pandemic, he should still be in line for a raise on his next deal.
  • While there is some uncertainty surrounding what can happen in terms of assigning youngsters like Quinton Byfield and Arthur Kaliyev, Blake believes that at the very least they can carry them with the NHL club until the OHL season gets underway. The GM allowed for the possibility for the youngsters to see a handful of NHL games although they are wary of the pro-rated limit on the number of games played before the first year of an entry-level deal is burned.  Normally, it’s nine games but this year, it’s six.  It’s possible that the prospects (who are currently at the World Juniors) could start with their taxi squad.
  • Prospects Cale Hults and Johan Sodergran were left off of their training camp roster due to injuries. Hults, who opted to forego his senior year at Penn State back in April, is recovering from hip surgery while Sodergran suffered a back injury while on loan to Almtuna of the Allsvenskan in Sweden.
  • Separate from Blake’s presser, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times relays (Twitter link) that Adrian Kempe is expected to remain on the wing to start the season. A natural center, the 24-year-old has struggled considerably at the faceoff dot in his four-year career but finished last season strong after being deployed on the left side.

Draft Notes: Perfetti, Sanderson, Rossi

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Several of the top-rated prospects for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, coming up on October 6-7, spoke to the media today and there was no shortage of interesting quotes, courtesy of OHL insider Mark Scheig. Saginaw forward Cole Perfetti was certainly confident and didn’t mince his words when discussing his ideal NHL landing spot. “If I was under a head coach where I had to dump the puck in every time I go out over the red line and get on the forecheck, it would be frustrating and I wouldn’t be able to express how I really am as a player,” Perfetti stated. While many NHL teams have abandoned the dump-and-chase offense, it might not have been the best idea for the young forward to state so emphatically that he could have issues in a system different from the one he is used to. NHL GM’s probably would have preferred to hear him say that he is willing to work at fitting in to any offensive structure and that his ability can adapt to new systems. Although Perfetti’s talent will be the final determinant of his draft slot, he may have rubbed some interested executives the wrong way with his bold statement. We will find out for sure come draft day if the potential top-five pick falls down the draft board.

  • Defenseman Jake Sanderson has flown up draft boards since the start of this season to the point that he is now considered a consensus top-10 or at least top-15 pick. That of course means that the U.S. National Team Development Program product has slipped past the realm of possibility for the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 21 overall. Jake’s father, Geoff Sanderson, was an inaugural member of the Blue Jackets and played four seasons with the team, during which time Jake was born. Sanderson told the media today that he has indeed met with  Columbus and there is a lot of familiarity still with the organization and the city. To make this pairing a reality, the Blue Jackets would absolutely need to trade up in the first round. However, they will likely wait until the draft has begun to see if such a move is even worth it. Sanderson revealed that he has also met with the New Jersey Devils twice and the cost for Columbus to move ahead of them at No. 7 is likely too high. If he does slip by the Devils, the race could be on for Columbus to move up the draft board.
  • Have the Detroit Red Wings tipped their hand as to their selection at No. 4 overall? With Alexis Lafreniere locked in as the No. 1 pick to the New York Rangers and Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle going in some order at No. 2 and No. 3, the first real draft order question comes with Detroit’s pick. However, it seems like the mystery may have already been solved. Amidst existing rumors that the Red Wings had keyed in on OHL forward Marco Rossi as their selection, the Red Wings loaned one of their top prospects, Michael Rasmussen, to the Graz 99ers, the same team that Rossi is currently training with. Then today, Rossi reported that he has talked with the Red Wings not once or twice but three times. And while other prospects have noted that Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has merely been listening in on video calls with his computer screen off, Rossi stated that he has had several “good” chats directly with Yzerman. This is far from an absolute confirmation that the Red Wings will go Rossi at fourth overall, there is certainly enough evidence to make a strong case.

Draft Notes: Ottawa, Buffalo, New Jersey, Backup Plan

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Last night’s NHL Draft Lottery did little for most of the seven teams that did not qualify for the postseason. A to-be-determined playoff team won the No. 1 pick, the Los Angeles Kings were the lone true beneficiary among the seven, moving up to No. 2, and the Ottawa Senators hold the No. 3 pick. This may seem like a win for Ottawa, but the team actually held the second and third picks prior to the lottery, giving them the best odds to win the first overall pick and a chance at having two top-three picks. Instead, they ended up with No. 3 and No. 5. The Senators will be just the fifth team in NHL history to hold two top-five picks, but it is still seen as a poor result by many fans. However, for those wondering if the team would react to their lottery results by moving one of their two picks, that is not in the plans. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch relays from Sens GM Pierre Dorion that he may listen to offers for the selections but is “99.9% sure” that he will keep the picks. Ottawa may not be able to land prize prospect Alexis Lafreniere, nor can they select both Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle, the two forwards competing to go No. 2, but they are guaranteed one of those two and will still land another elite player in a deep draft class.

  • The Buffalo Sabres had the least lottery odds of the seven non-playoff teams and ended up sliding from No. 7 to No. 8 with a playoff team winning the first overall pick. In a deep draft class, the Sabres will still get a great player with the eighth pick and The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski details their potential options. The one that sticks out most is OHL star center Marco Rossi, who has an interesting tie to the team. While Buffalo recently moved on from a large number of their hockey operations staff and their minor league coaches, among others, head coach Ralph Kreuger is still at the helm and will likely have a say in draft decisions given that the hockey operations staff will largely be made up of new names by the time draft day occurs. If Kreuger does get to weigh in, Rossi could be his preferred target if available. Kreuger coached the Swiss national team for more than a decade until 2010, but Lysowski notes that he still maintains contact with the programs from which Rossi came. Additionally, Kreuger coached Rossi’s father, Michael Rossi, in Austria in the early 90’s. The slick, play-making forward may not make it to Buffalo at No. 8, but if he does he would very likely be the pick.
  • The New Jersey Devils landed pick No. 7 last night, but also own the first-round picks of the Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks. Conditions limit either of those picks from belonging to New Jersey if they were to become No. 1 overall, so they will both be later on in the first round. As a result, they could become expendable if the right deal was on the table. Interim GM Tom Fitzgerald stated on a conference call following the lottery that he would consider trading one of the picks if the opportunity arose. New Jersey is already considered a wild card in this draft given their depth in talented forwards and a draft class defined by depth in this area, so the team might be targeting top defenseman Jamie Drysdale or top goalie Yaroslav Askarov at No. 7 and then one first-round forward might be enough if they can improve the NHL roster by moving the other pick.
  • What happens to the Phase 2 Draft Lottery if the league does not resume play? TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that it would be the same as if all of the lower seeds in the knockout round were to lose. The even-odds (12.5% apiece) lottery would still place among the teams that finished 8-15 in inverse points percentage this season: Montreal, Chicago, Arizona, Minnesota, Winnipeg, New York Rangers, Florida, and Columbus.

Expert Consensus: What To Expect In Round One Of The 2020 NHL Draft

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While the actual date of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft is still unknown and at the very least still several months away, there is no new data for teams and draft analysts to gather on the draft class. So while the draft may seem like a long ways off, now is as good a time as any to begin dissecting the possibilities. Many draft experts agree, as several have already done their final dive into this class of prospects and released their final draft rankings. While there are a number of draft experts and services out there, here is a look at the upcoming first round based on the consensus of the most recent rankings from some of the most well-known draft analysts out there: Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required), Craig Button and Bob McKenzie of TSN, Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News, Steve Kournianos of The Draft Analyst, Chris Peters of ESPN (subscription required), and Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet:

Alexis Lafreniere Will Go No. 1

No surprise, right? Alexis Lafreniere won the battle for the first overall spot a while ago and it is hard to find anyone who still disagrees. All eight experts ranked Lafreniere at No. 1 and few bothered to even argue the merits of the selection. Lafreniere has a chance to be a generational player given his offensive skill and skating ability. Regardless of who wins Friday’s lottery, they will be selecting the Rimouski superstar with the top pick.

Quinton Byfield Will Go No. 2

Of the eight experts, all but one ranked big center Quinton Byfield as the second overall pick. If that isn’t enough, just look at his numbers, including his height and weight, and you’ll get the idea why he is a can’t-miss prospect. Byfield is the type of top-line pivot that every team needs and, like Lafreniere at No. 1, no team will pass him up regardless of their organizational depth. The Sudbury centerman is the total package and his well-roundness alone will win him this spot.

Tim Stutzle Will Probably Go No. 3

Six of eight experts predict that German sensation Tim Stutzle will be taken third overall, with a seventh ranking him second. Stutzle has come on strong this season and shaken off any doubters with his elite speed and creativity. Thrown in his achievement against men in the DEL and against his peers at the World Juniors and you have a player that has shown that he can rise to the occasion once he arrives in the NHL. If the team picking third has a drastic need for defense or has fallen in love with one of the other consensus top-ten forwards, maybe Stutzle slips past third. However, he is right on the line of being too good to pass up like Lafreniere and Byfield.

Jamie Drysdale Will Be The First Defenseman Selected

Jamie Drysdale began the draft cycle as the top-rated defenseman and he will end it that way as well. All eight experts have the Drysdale as their top-ranked defender, anywhere from No. 4 to No. 9. The draft order will very likely determine where exactly Drysdale falls. However, given his ability and an otherwise weak defense class, especially on the right side, it is hard to imagine him falling outside the top five, as there will be teams looking to trade up if those pick-holders are not interested. The slick, pay-making blue liner out or Erie is a special player with the puck on his stick, but his defensive ability is also worthy of a top selection.

Another Goalie Will Go Early

Last year, the Florida Panthers bucked the trend of goaltenders rarely being taken early in the first round when they selected Spencer Knight at No. 13 overall. Watch for the same thing to happen this year and perhaps even earlier, depending on how the draft order plays out. Russian prodigy Yaroslav Askarov is being regarded even higher than Knight and might have a chance to crack the top ten. All eight experts ranked Askarov in the first half of the first round, but six had him at tenth or earlier. Askarov is truly considered an elite goalie prospect, the likes of which have not been seen in some time, and there will very likely be a team early on who simply can’t resist taking a guaranteed future starter.

A Down Year For The Americans

After a historic American draft class in 2019, the U.S. will very much take a back seat in the first round in 2020. Only one American, USNTDP defenseman Jake Sanderson, was a consensus first-round pick among the experts and none of the eight had more than three Americans slotted in the first round. Even among those few picks there was dissent among the experts, but forwards Brendan Brisson and Thomas Bordeleau look like the most likely names to sneak in.

Forward Depth Will Define The Draft Class

If there is one thing that has been a common refrain about the 2020 draft class, it is the wealth of talented forwards available. A strong sign that this is true is the varied opinions among the experts, with some ranking forwards early in the first round that others think might still be available in the third round. Only 15 forwards were consensus first-round picks among the eight experts. Beyond Lafreniere, Byfield, and Stutzle, there are Swedish standouts Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz, CHL stars Marco Rossi, Cole Perfetti, Jack Quinn, Connor Zary, Mavrik Bourque, Seth Jarvis, and Dawson Mercer, Finnish phenom Anton Lundell, Russian prize Rodion Amirov, and NCAA wunderkind Dylan Holloway. Yet, there were 22 other forward prospects who received at least one first-round ranking among the eight experts, not to mention another handful who were consensus second-round picks. There will be an uncommon amount of high-end ability available through at least the first two rounds for those NHL teams with needs up front.

Elite Defense Will Be Hard To Come By

Those teams desperate for help on the blue line will not have the same luck as those in need of forwards. Among the eight experts, only Drysdale and Sanderson were consensus first-round picks and both will be gone in the first half of the first round. Just four defenseman were given first-round grades by the majority of experts – Kaiden Guhle, Braden Schneider, Jeremie Poirier, and Justin Barron – and only Guhle received a top-half ranking by more than one expert. Given the depth of forwards and the inclusion of the goaltender Askarov as a definite first-round pick, it would not be a surprise to see as few as four defensemen selected in the first round this year.

NHL Central Scouting Releases Final 2020 Draft Rankings

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Even though we still don’t know exactly when the 2020 NHL Entry Draft will be taking place, hockey fans around the world can still pour over prospect stats and lists hoping their favorite organization gets the chance to add their favorite young player at some point down the line. Today, NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings for North American and International skaters and goaltenders. The top names are as follows:

North American Skaters:

  1. Alexis Lafreniere – Rimouski, QMJHL
  2. Quinton Byfield – Sudbury, OHL
  3. Jamie Drysdale – Erie, OHL
  4. Jake Sanderson – USNTDP
  5. Cole Perfetti – Saginaw, OHL
  6. Marco Rossi – Ottawa, OHL
  7. Jack Quinn – Ottawa, OHL
  8. Kaiden Guhle – Prince Albert, WHL
  9. Braden Schneider – Brandon, WHL
  10. Dawson Mercer – Chicoutimi, QMJHL

International Skaters:

  1. Tim Stuetzle – Mannheim, DEL
  2. Alexander Holtz – Djurgarden, SHL
  3. Anton Lundell – HIFK, Liiga
  4. Lucas Raymond – Frolunda, SHL
  5. Rodion Amirov – Ufa, KHL
  6. Helge Grans – Malmo, Sweden-Jr.
  7. John-Jason Peterka – Munich, DEL
  8. Topi Niemela – Karpat, Liiga
  9. Noel Gunler – Lulea, SHL
  10. Roni Hirvonen – Assat, Liiga

North American Goalies:

  1. Nicolas Daws – Guelph, OHL
  2. Drew Commesso – USNTDP
  3. Samuel Hlavaj – Sherbrooke, QMJHL

International Goalies:

  1. Yaroslav Askarov – St. Petersburg, VHL
  2. Jan Bednar – Sokolov, Czech-2
  3. Joel Blomqvist – Karpat, Finland-Jr.

Snapshots: Coyotes’ Violations, Pronger, Sundqvist, Byfield

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After rumors that the Arizona Coyotes had broken recruitment violations earlier this week by fitness testing draft prospects before the NHL Scouting Combine, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that sources are telling him that there are at least 20 incidents of that violation. The case has now been handed over to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.

With many teams looking on to see how the NHL might react, Dreger notes that at $250K per incident, Arizona could be fined in the area of $5MM if those rumors are true. There is no timeline on when a decision will be made.

  • St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann writes that the St. Louis Blues will retire another number to their rafters of Enterprise Center as the team will honor defenseman Chris Pronger at some point next season. The date has yet to be determined. Pronger played nine season with the Blues and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. He won both the Hart Trophy and the Norris Trophy in 2000. He played 598 regular season games with the Blues, posting 84 goals, 356 points and 931 penalty minutes. Pronger will be the eighth member of the Blues to have his number retired.
  • Sticking with the Blues, Timmermann also writes that forward Oskar Sundqvist, who has been out with a lower-body injury since Jan. 27, skated today at the team’s optional morning skate. However, head coach Craig Berube stated that Sundqvist isn’t close to returning yet. “Not really,” he said. “He’s a ways away yet.” Sundqvist has 11 goals and 20 points in 44 games this season.
  • Lottery teams breathed a sigh of relief after Dreger also reported that Sudbury Wolves’ Quinton Byfield, the current candidate to be the second-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, only suffered a sprained wrist Friday night after being forced to leave the game against Oshawa. Many feared the OHL prospect had broken his wrist, but Dreger added that Byfield could return this weekend still. If not, he is expected to be back within the next few days. Byfield has 32 goals and 74 points in just 40 OHL games.

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