Quinton Byfield is next up in the Seasons in Review series. Byfield posted his third consecutive season exceeding 20 goals, though he struggled to find consistency throughout the course of the 2025-26 campaign. At the end of the day, Byfield’s statline looks fairly similar to what it’s been over the last couple seasons and that is a statline of a solid, second-line forward. There’s more in there, though, with the onus on unlocking more of it heading into next season.
Quinton Byfield
LAK Statline – 79 games played, 24 goals, 25 assists, even rating, eight penalty minutes
LAK Playoff Statline – 4 games played, 0 goals, 2 assists, -4 rating, 6 penalty minutes
NHL Possession Metrics (Relative To Kings) – CF% – 53.1% (+0.9%), SCF% – 53.4% (+0.7%), HDCF% – 52.4% (-3.3%)
Trending Up – This is going to feel awfully similar to Trevor Moore’s article, but Byfield took a massive step forward following the midseason coaching change. Byfield had 16 points (11-5-16) over his final 16 games played. Over the final month of the season, only Montreal’s Cole Caufield and Nashville’s Filip Forsberg scored more goals than Byfield. He had three multi-goal games in that span and seven multi-point games. For much of Byfield’s season and, frankly, career, we’ve been left wanting more. Felt like he pulled everything together down the stretch to deliver some of the highest-level hockey we’ve seen from him in the NHL. He did so despite playing through multiple, painful injuries, injuries that have sidelined other players. Really impressive.
One of my favorite metrics for Byfield is how effective he is both blueline in and blueline out. Two categories in which Byfield led the Kings this season, per SportLOGIQ – controlled zone entries carrying the puck and controlled zone exits carrying the puck. I think it’s a part of Byfield’s game that doesn’t get enough appreciation, which is how effectively he transports the puck when it’s on his stick, moving it out of his zone with possession and into the offensive zone with possession. Byfield was also as efficient as any player on the team in doing so. Per SportLOGIQ, the Kings had a “successful play” following 83.6 percent of Byfield’s controlled zone exits, the second-best clip on the team. Similarly, the Kings had a scoring chance on 27.7 percent of his controlled zone entries, also second on the team. Good on both fronts.
Lastly, we’re talking about one of the best skaters in the NHL here and the numbers support that. Byfield fell just outside of the NHL’s Top-10 in speed bursts of 22+ MPH and speed bursts between 20 and 22 MPH, while ranking fourth in the league in speed bursts between 18 and 20 MPH. He ranked in the 98th percentile in both speed bursts of 20+ MPH and total skating distance, the latter of which he also ranked just outside of the league’s Top-10 in among forwards. Byfield is the only player in this discussion at his size and his skating was certainly on full display this season.
Trending Down – Again, similar to Trevor Moore’s article here, the reason why Byfield’s strong conclusion to the season was such a standout is that his production was disappointing for large stretches of last season. Byfield scored just five goals in the 2025 portion of last season. Three months, five goals, despite averaging right around 20 minutes per game. He started off strong, with eight points (2-6-8) in his first eight games but his offensive production from the second half of the 2024-25 season, when playing with Kevin Fiala, did not translate. As noted in Alex Laferriere’s review, that line was together for only four goals scored in more than 120 minutes together. The Kings needed far more from those three as a line. There were stretches for Byfield but there were also too many zeroes in the game log along the way. To be a top-line center in the NHL, he’ll have to be substantially more consistent than he was last season.
In the 2024-25 season, Byfield was on the ice for eight power-play goals against in 128 minutes shorthanded. This season, his shorthanded time on ice went up but his on-ice goals against skyrocketed. He was out there for 31 power-play goals against in 152 minutes. On a per/60 basis, that is more than tripled. Of the 225 players with at least 100 shorthanded minutes this season, Byfield’s 12.22 goals against per/60 was third worst in the NHL. A drastic fall off, after he ranked sixth-best in the same metric in 2024-25. The Kings were one of the league’s worst PK teams last season and as the most-used forward in those situations, Byfield bears some of that responsibility. It’s not all on him and I expect something similar to pop up when getting into the seasons on the blueline, for numerous players. The PK has to be substantially better next season and Byfield will play a part in that.
Lastly, it’s a smaller detail within the game in my opinion, but Byfield will need to make improvements in the faceoff dot to play center at pivotal moments in games. Byfield was the team’s most regularly used center in terms of defensive-zone assignments, taking on the most defensive-zone starts and defensive-zone faceoffs, but he won just 44 percent of his draws in the defensive zone. His ability to play against top-end opposition is a plus and overall, I believe the importance of faceoffs is overstated. However, with Anze Kopitar (56.6 percent in those situations) retiring, Byfield will likely continue to draw tough matchups. Improvements on faceoffs will certainly help him to further succeed in them.
2026-27 Status – Byfield is a proven second-line center in the NHL. Now, the Kings need him to become a first-line center in the NHL. The tools are there but the production has not been. He’ll be 24 when the season gets underway and it’s time for Byfield to rise to the occasion, as he was drafted to do. Where Byfield plays and who he plays with will be interesting. The Kings have as much talent on the wings as they’ve had in some time. Byfield, as it stands right now, will sit atop the depth chart through the middle. With that, the Kings need closer to top-line production. A pivotal season ahead for Byfield, to see how capable he is to meet the moment.
