Quinton Byfields progress, and the L.A. Kings 2022-23 defense: Mailbag, part 2 – The Athletic

Welcome back for another mailbag offering.

If mailbag 1.0 was more of a broader look with a strong Who Says No? trade element this second posting will be slightly more roster-specific, plus a longer look at the Evgeni Malkin situation. Again, there were plenty of questions about the crowd on defense. There were also a handful of questions about Quinton Byfield, which isnt surprising considering his lofty draft status (No. 2 in 2020) and the high expectations that go along with players drafted so high.

So lets start with some Byfield questions, some of which were grouped together.(Some questions have been lightly edited for style and clarity.)

What are the organizations expectations for Quinton Byfield next season? Joshua B.

What do the Kings need to see out of Byfield next year? I assume hell be with the team out of camp for the whole season. Michael F.

In a word: progression.

How far he progresses will be up to him. The Kings clearly want him to succeed for a number of reasons, starting with the fact they have a lot invested in him. He was getting chances to play even when he was overmatched in the regular season.

At some point, hell need to be a top-six forward. They will need to see progression, and they hope to see a lot of it.

Of course, its hard to be patient. I keep going back to an interview that I did with ESPN/TSN broadcaster Ray Ferraro approximately 14 months ago. The primary topic of our conversation was Gabriel Vilardi (who had been made a healthy scratch) but it touched on the bigger picture of development timelines. Ferraro said: Some guys just jump into the lineup, and off they go and you never think about them again.

Still, few teams experience the luxury of a finished product. Those who promote the notion of patience will point to the career arc of Adrian Kempe, who is coming off a career-high 35 goals. Kempe, 25, has played in 390 NHL games. Still, he displayed flashes of promise much earlier, scoring a hat trick in his 31st NHL game. The Kings will need to see more hints of promise from Byfield this upcoming season. And it doesnt have to be a hat trick.

Most media pundits had Byfield eventually taking over from Phillip Danault at 2C with Danault sliding down to 3C, but with the unexpected offense that Danault discovered and with Anze Kopitar looking more like hes losing a step it hurts to say that do you think it makes more sense for Danault to supplant Kopitar at 1C, with Kopitar to 2C? I cant see Byfield leapfrogging Danault anytime soon on the depth chart and I dont think we would ever see Kopitar in a 3C role, which would leave our former No. 2 pick languishing in a no-mans land of sorts. If this is the case, might it be better to package Byfield (as much as I hate thinking about that) in a deal for a true star/scoring winger? Craig H.

The question from Craig is slightly different than the other two about Byfields future, so it gets a separate answer. At this stage, I cant see the Kings packaging Byfield in a trade for two reasons.

1. Teams rarely move on from a No. 2 draft pick this quickly, and 2. The conservative nature of Kings GM Rob Blake.

After those two reasons, there really doesnt need to be another one!

The whole point about drafting Byfield is anticipating that somewhere down the road, you would need someone for the next generation to do what Anze Kopitar did for the previous generation. In three years, maybe Kopitar is a 3C, and there may not be a clearly defined 1C/2C, depending on how Danault and Byfield are trending. The best-case scenario for the Kings is that Byfield reaches his full potential and is a true 1C by then. A reminder: Byfield wont turn 23 until August 2025.

What Kings prospects does the team value the most? Which ones have taken significant steps in their development and which have been more stagnant? Will T.

Sometimes, its more enlightening to get answers outside the organization. Ive asked an NHL executive from another team about Ontario AHL and twice he has brought up how much he likes the progression of defenseman Helge Grans. He added that the Kings will have to be patient with Grans, who was drafted in the second round (No. 35) in 2020.

There should be concern about the way Alex Turcotte is trending. Turcotte, the No. 5 in 2019, has been beset by numerous injuries since joining the organization. But rightly or wrongly, you have to live with comparisons to your draft class.

Not only are the two players drafted right after Turcotte Moritz Seider (Detroit) and Dylan Cozens (Buffalo) making an impact in the NHL, there is Trevor Zegras, who went No. 9 to the Ducks. Zegras is close by in Anaheim and has the star power and charisma that goes beyond goals and assists. It is a wow factor that only comes along every so often and matters when you are in the entertainment industry.

Whats our defense going to look like next year? Having too many prospects isnt a bad thing, but theres not enough room for everyone! Patrick S.

Mikey Anderson-Drew DoughtySean Walker-Matt RoyTBD-Sean Durzi

Thats my (early) take on it. Walkers recovery from ACL surgery is on track and he is expected to be ready for training camp. He is on the left side here because he has played that position and that would help alleviate the surplus on the right. Could highly touted prospect Brandt Clarke the Kings first-round draft choice in 2021 stick with the big team? Again, AHL Ontario is not an option for him. Its either the NHL or OHL Barrie. I dont have him in the top six at this moment because it feels premature to do so before he even steps on the ice in training camp or plays in his first rookie tournament. Mononucleosis prevented him from playing in the 2021 event in Arizona. If he knocks the socks off the coaching staff in camp and preseason games, then thats a different story.

Conceivably, Alex Edler could slide into the third pair on the left side, where it is left open for a free-agent signing or trade target. Or Tobias Bjornfot, if he has a bounce-back camp/preseason and doesnt start the season in the AHL.

Have coaches considered transitioning one of our many right-shot defensemen to the left side to help resolve the imbalance? Also, Doughty said the team needs to add more toughness. Does that make it more likely that they try to keep Brendan Lemieux? Don N.

One of Dons questions goes nicely with the previous entry about the defense. Walker and Durzi are both comfortable on the left side. While Roy could do it and has done it, he plays his best on the right side. That came up in my recent question-and-answer session with assistant coach Trent Yawney, who runs the defense. Yawney noted that Roys game really took off after Roy was moved back to the right side again this past season.

In a perfect world, youd like to have three lefty-righty pairs, but it rarely works out that way.

Regarding toughness, one of my first phone calls would be to the agent of Nic Deslauriers, who was once in the Kings organization. He was mentioned in Mailbag 1.0 as someone the Kings should target in the summer.

Undoubtedly, Deslauriers will draw plenty of interest. Not only would he address the toughness issue but Deslauriers has the ability to kill penalties. For a fourth-line player, he checks a lot of boxes.

Hardest question of the offseason: Keep Sean Durzi or trade him? Hes developed so much but with the logjam, is he expendable? Chris T.

Almost everyone is expendable, but I understand where you are going with the question. The most valuable trade chips that the Kings possess are on the back end starting with Durzi. As an aside, the Seattle Kraken could use someone like Durzi to run the power play.

But Durzi has that it factor, which is hard to define but you know it when you see it. Durzi embraces the big moments and tough assignments. Teammates have a lot of time for someone who was willing to take on Nashvilles Yakov Trenin.

On left defense, I dont see Olli Maatta sticking around. Maybe the Kings give Edler another go on another budget-friendly deal but, if they dont, shouldnt they give Jacob Moverare a shot to develop on the third pair? He seems like he could be solid if given a long enough opportunity. Daniel C.

I suspect Maatta will get a better offer elsewhere than what the Kings could put together for him. Given the way Edler played before his injury and after his injury it would be worth bringing him back on the contract you described. He had a meaningful impact on the young defense corps, as well as on his Swedish countrymen on the blue line and those up front, Kempe and Carl Grundstrom and even Viktor Arvidsson. You cant discount that.

It will have to be a win-win situation for the organization and Edler, who is 36 and is closing in on an important individual milestone, just 34 games away from 1,000 NHL games played. If his minutes are managed correctly, he could still be a valuable asset on a team-friendly contract.

The Kings rank dead last in shooting percentage and are a high volume shot team. They rank better in high-danger shooting percentage. How much of their inability to finish do you think is a result of the system they play vs. a lack of players who are highly skilled finishers? Andy G.

It is/was not an especially gifted group when it came to finishing plays. Every team is a little bit different. The Colorado Avalanche have players who dont need four chances to score a goal. If they get one or two, it is probably going in.

I have read multiple reports that the Kings might be interested in Evgeni Malkin if he does not re-sign in Pittsburgh. I know he still averaged either a point per game or close to it, but do you think that would be a good idea? It seems like it would create a serious logjam at center, and definitely would not leave a spot for Byfield or whatever other kids are on the verge. Jason F.

I thought it made sense to place the question about Malkin right after Andys question because, well, Malkin isnt going to need four chances to score a goal. Or three.

Moreover, the power-play questions would vanish with Malkin stepping on the ice in L.A. Suddenly the system would look much better and everyone on the staff would look a lot smarter.

First off, it would be a bold move and also out of step with the way Kings management team has been operating. They made three strategic additions last offseason but this would be classified as a win-now move, costing a lot of money. Malkin is still a very good player and is determined to prove that hes put his injuries behind him. Knee surgery kept him out of the lineup until Jan. 11 and he was more than a point-a-game player, finishing with 42 points in 41 games.

Its worth looking at it from Malkins point of view. If Pittsburgh isnt offering what he deems a reasonable contract, then what does he want? Hes not going to give teams a Mark Giordano-type discount. Does he have a wish to live in Los Angeles?

The best resource on Malkin in Pittsburgh happens to be colleague Rob Rossi of The Athletic, who has covered Malkin since his first days in the NHL. He has made two trips to Russia to spend time with Malkin for stories and they are working on a book together.

Rossi said: To doubt Evgeni would be folly, given how badly he wants to get back (his) level. Its language similar to what he used after his first knee surgery forced him to miss the end of the 2010-11 and his personal struggles off the ice detailed in a story written after I spent time with him in Moscow in July 2019 impacted him negatively in 2018-19.

Now, he wore a younger mans clothes after each of those seasons, but he followed each with arguably his two best offensive seasons. Also, dont discount his true motivation: becoming the first Russian to win four Cup titles. If he cant do that in Pittsburgh, hed love to show the Penguins he can do it elsewhere.

Hi Lisa. Wondering what your thoughts are on Kopitar and the Hockey Hall Of Fame? Hes often compared to Patrice Bergeron and they each won the Selke Trophy and Mark Messier Leadership Award. I think Bergeron is a lock for the HHOF, so would Kopitar be there, too? Kevin L.

I appreciated that Kevin submitted a question that I can answer without hesitation.

Yes.

If I had a vote (and I do not), Kopitar would be in. You referenced his individual credentials and there are the two Stanley Cup championships to bolster the argument. At 34, he finished sixth in Selke voting this year.

(It was cool to see that fellow media member Wayne Gretzky of TNT had Kopitar No. 1 on his Selke ballot.)

I also think it shouldnt be overlooked what Kopitar has done internationally, with a deep commitment to his native Slovenia. At 17, Kopitar was representing Slovenia in Olympic qualifying tournament games, and went on to play in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, marking the first time Slovenia accomplished such a feat in mens hockey. I suspect that first would carry significant weight with the HHOF voters.

I miss Frozen Fury in Vegas. That is all. Dunc F.

Same.

Is there any chance the Kings will offer-sheet anyone this offseason? I would like to see them try and bring Arcadia native Jason Robertson back home. David T.

Every team has its own style and approach. Offer sheets are uncommon because they rarely work and you leave yourself open to retribution. If the player is good enough like Robertson you dont get him. He is just too important to the Dallas Stars future. A conventional team like the Stars would automatically match. I just cant see any other course of action.

Should the Kings adopt a load-management style for some of the older core players? (Example: Kopitar and Doughty play 60 games tokeep them fresh for playoffs.) Jazz

In the shortened 56-game season in 2021, there were some questions about load management. Maybe teams would have to weigh that intriguing option. But the answer was always no it would not happen.

NHL players just would not go for it. It never felt like a concept that would fly in a league like the NHL. Players will tell you if they even miss a game or two, they start to feel theyre missing their edge.

There are 18 position players and you can manage their load within games if you want. That ultimately could be the solution with Kopitar as they could start to cut his minutes back in a logical fashion.

Have you watched Shoresy on Hulu? Its fun to see Kings legend Jordan Nolan as a character. Keoni M.

That is on my future viewing list. The first order of business is wrapping up the final season of Downton Abbey yes, Im hopelessly years behind on that one and then getting up-to-date on Formula 1: Drive to Survive on Netflix.

Frankly, I wish more NHL general managers/coaches were outspoken as Christian Horner of Red Bull. Alas, one can dream

(Top photo of Quinton Byfield: Bailey Hillesheim / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Quinton Byfields progress, and the L.A. Kings 2022-23 defense: Mailbag, part 2 - The Athletic