Very lofty expectations faced Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield in the Pacific Division this past season. But a slow start to the regular season that saw Byfield register just five assists and a -3 plus/minus rating in the season's first 13 games.
Reduced ice time and a move to winger from the center position by Kings head coach Jim Hiller in late October and early November ultimately didn't last too long.
Byfield found his scoring spark for the Kings with three goals and six total points in the month of November this past season. But Byfield's game really took off in the regular season's second half. Coming out of the 4 Nations Tournament in February this past season, Byfield scored double-digit points in just eight games and a whopping +10 plus/minus rating.
Quinton Byfield 2024-25 Los Angeles Kings player season recap
2024-25 season stats: 81 games played, 23 goals, 31 assists, 54 points, +16
2024-25 advanced stats: 14.5 shooting %, 10.7 5-on-5 shooting %, 2.1 points/60, 5.8 point shares, 2.8 WAR
2024-25 possession metrics (with Kings): 55.5 CF%, 56.5 SCF%, 101.8 PDO, 60.0 HDCF%
Had it not been for the slow start, Byfield could've set lofty new career marks in goal scoring and total points. Over half of his 54 points in the last regular season came in the season's final three months.
The advanced metrics did a nice job of showing the impact Byfield had on the Kings' team on both sides of the ice last season in the Pacific Division. He ranked in the top three on the team in high-danger scoring chance percentage and a career-best 14.5 shooting percentage in all situations.
Finishing up the regular season for the Kings, Byfield was red-hot scoring the puck. Byfield boasted a six-game goal streak for the Kings, which helped LA go on a four-game winning streak in early-to-mid March at a key point in the postseason picture in the West late in the regular season.
The inconsistencies in the scoring department for Byfield ultimately didn't keep him away from finishing the campaign strong at the center position for the Kings.
Rink Royalty 2024-25 season grade for Quinton Byfield: A-
Quinton Byfield 2025-26 Los Angeles Kings season preview
Byfield is one of the better young two-way centers in the Pacific Division. His defensive game remains underrated as it can be overshadowed by his offensive production on that end of the ice for the Kings.
The pressure is on Byfield to start handling a bigger expectation and workload for the Kings going into this upcoming season. He is considered by many to be the heir apparent for the Kings once Anze Kopitar hangs up the skates to be the next first line center in LA.
At the very least, Hiller and the Kings will give Byfield consistent second-line minutes with the core forward group alongside players like Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala or Alex Laferriere. It's not out of the realm of possibility for him to get more minutes on a top forward line for the Kings this upcoming season with Adrian Kempe and Fiala.