LA Kings: Three big predictions for Quinton Byfield’s long-awaited NHL Debut

Let the Quinton Byfield era officially begin for the LA Kings.

We’ve had to wait a while but tonight we will finally see Quinton Byfield unleashed on the National Hockey League, with the stud forward set to make his long-awaited professional debut for the LA Kings against the Anaheim Ducks, and it could be well worth the wait.

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Byfield was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and is seen as the focal point of this current Kings’ rebuild, and he should be a cornerstone piece for a franchise that is hoping to secure a return to the glory days in the not-too-distant future.

Boasting an incredibly rare and unique mix of size, speed, skill and high hockey IQ, Byfield is a four or five-tool hockey player and he has amazingly high upside and will enter the NHL tonight with lofty expectations given his potential and his sheer talent level.

As a result, it is no surprise that the LA Kings have decided to treat one of their youngest and greatest assets with kid gloves, allowing the center to mature in the American Hockey League with the Ontario Reign, where he recorded eight goals and 20 points in 30 games.

It is now time, however, for Quinton Byfield to showcase his ability on the biggest possible platform and we’ve got three fairly big and bold predictions for the elite prospect’s NHL debut for the Kings against the Ducks tonight. Let’s dive right in…

3 Big Predictions for Quinton Byfield’s NHL debut with the LA Kings

3. Expect to see a shorthanded goal

As we’ve already mentioned, Quinton Byfield is a rare commodity in the National Hockey League given that he boasts huge size at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds – and he still has room to add to that frame – while he also has a boatload of skill in his arsenal.

Therefore, Byfield should be used in all situations and he could be a huge weapon on the penalty kill given that he will be able to lay the body on in his own zone, play responsible defense, get the puck out and he also has the insane speed needed to be a massive threat on breakaway chances.

And we could well see Byfield mark his long-awaited NHL debut with a shorthanded goal given that LA Kings Head Coach Todd McLellan has already revealed that he could give the Second overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft some time on the penalty kill.

If that proves to be the case then it would not be surprising if Byfield converts on the PK given his deadly combination of sheer size, speed and skill, especially against a Ducks team that doesn’t exactly do a good job of keeping the puck out of its net and that also ranks dead last on the power play (10.0).