The Los Angeles Kings have signed Quinton Byfield to a five-year, $31.25M contract.
This new deal means Byfield will earn an average of $6.25M per year until the end of the 2028-29 NHL season. The agreement is a middle-ground for both sides, covering his remaining restricted free agent years and one year as an unrestricted free agent at a fair price. Byfield is now set up for another long-term deal when he turns 27.
Byfield’s first three years in the league were not amazing. He only scored eight goals and had 33 points in 99 games. But he showed he could be physical on the ice, mature with faceoffs at 45%, and strong defensively. One reason for his low scoring was that he only played about 13 minutes per game .
Byfield’s Breakout Season:
Last season was different; Byfield finally averaged over 15 minutes a game and played alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe in the top six. He scored 20 goals and had 55 points in 80 games, thriving in the Kings’ defensive system with a CorsiFor percentage of 59.4 and an on-ice save percentage of 93.2%.
Fans might think this contract shows how much faith the Kings have in Byfield’s future potential.
With Kopitar possibly nearing retirement, Byfield could soon compete for a center spot but will likely stay in the top six or even on the top line for now. After his first big season with 20 goals, some believe he might hit the 30-goal mark soon under this new contract.
What do you think? Will Byfield reach that goal?
