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

2. No first night jitters

It is common for high picks to be on the opening night roster in the NHL, as was the case for Alexis Lafreniere, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, who has been in the big leagues with the New York Rangers since day one.

The LA Kings took a different approach, however, opting to not rush Quinton Byfield and instead treat their most prized asset with kid gloves, allowing him to adapt to life as a professional hockey player at his own pace and get used to his new surroundings.

It was a smart move given that we live in a Pandemic world still and, with a short Training Camp and no preseason, it was always unfair to expect this year’s rookie class to hit the ground running and we saw with Lafreniere that all prospects, no matter how talented, need a certain amount of time to adapt and take that next giant leap.

Instead of being rushed through to the NHL, Byfield has been cutting his teeth in the American Hockey League with the Ontario Reign, where he was pretty productive with eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 30 games, while also logging 22 penalty minutes.

Having been allowed to further hone his craft and practice with the Kings without the pressure of having to live up to high expectations straightaway, Byfield should be in a pretty good state of mind prior to making his debut tonight and that could lead to a pretty smooth debut.

Set to skate alongside two skilled players in Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore and also slated to see some action on the second power play unit, Byfield will get plenty of opportunity to impress and it would not be surprising to see him make an immediate glowing first impression given that he’s not been rushed straight into action.