The 2024-25 NHL season is still very early and the same is true for fantasy hockey. While most managers are still trying to understand their roster and where they might stack up in their league, it is a long season that will have plenty of twists and turns.
That doesn't mean managers shouldn't be diligent in scouring the waiver wire and trying to find players who could be a deciding factor down the road. One of those players is Los Angeles Kings forward Alex Laferriere who is prominent in this offense.
Alex Laferriere replaces Quinton Byfield on the Los Angeles Kings top line
Alex Laferriere played in 81 games last season for the Kings and had 12 goals and 11 assists with an average time on ice of 13:13. However, this season he is playing on the top line for the Kings alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe and has already seen his time on ice jump significantly to 16:50.
With that jump will come additional opportunities for the young forward and he has already taken advantage of that with an assist in two games.
It isn't a guarantee that Laferriere will match the production of Quinton Byfield from last year but that should give managers a good idea of what they might expect. Byfield was the left wing with Kopitar and Kempe last season and finished with 20 goals and 35 assists with an average on ice time of 16:29 .
This is one player not to waste any time adding if they are on the waiver wire because he will only get better as the season goes along and should remain on that top line for the Los Angeles Kings.