Byfield is poised to be a key part of the Kings’ success, coming off a strong season.
The Los Angeles Kings signed restricted free agent Quinton Byfield to a five-year contract on Monday, carrying a $6.25M cap hit.
Below, we examine how the contract looks for the Kings, and whether they’re getting good value.
Player Overview
Selected second overall by the Kings in 2020, Quinton Byfield was immediately pegged as a potential franchise player for Los Angeles.
After dominating the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves in his draft year, Byfield made the jump right to professional hockey with the AHL’s Ontario Reign in the shortened 2021 season. The following year, however, the forward ended up fracturing his ankle at the start of the 2021-22 season, and missed quite a bit of time as a result. When he did return, he ended up posting just five goals and 10 points in 40 NHL games.
Then the following year, Byfield also didn’t really score at an attention-catching rate, managing just three goals and 22 points in 53 games with the Kings, while also spending another stint in the AHL.
However, this past season marked a breakout year for Byfield, with the forward becoming a key part of the team’s offense. Byfield got off to a great start to the season, and while he cooled off a little as the year went on, he still ended the year with 20 goals and 55 points in 80 games.
While Byfield’s offensive output took a little while to come together though, he already has a very well-rounded game for a player his age. He’s effective on the forecheck, reliable defensively, and isn’t afraid to engage physically. With high-end playmaking ability and very good skating and agility for a player of his size, all signs point to Byfield taking another step with the Kings production-wise.
That said, it’ll be interesting to see how Byfield is used over the next couple of years. Despite being drafted as a center, Byfield has mainly played on the wing with the Kings, finding chemistry with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. With Pierre-Luc Dubois now out of the mix though, you have to imagine there’s a good chance the Kings do look to transition him to center on a more regular basis, sometime in the near future.
Comparables
Below we’ll take a look at comparable contracts to evaluate how the deal looks for the Kings, and whether it carries fair value. For more information on the stats/tables used below, including how the payment rate is calculated, visit the About the Site page.
With Byfield turning 22 years old in August, comparables were generally kept to wingers who were between 21 and 24 years old by Dec. 31 of the first year of their contract. While Byfield may transition to play center, since he’s spent the majority of his NHL career on the wing, comparables will generally be kept to wingers rather than centers.
For readers using mobile view, a side-to-side scrolling option is available for the table below.
5 YEARS
With a five-year deal, Byfield signed for one of the least expected contract lengths possible.
It’s rare for a winger to get a five-year contract off his entry-level deal. Two of the more recent wingers who did this were Kirill Kaprizov and Jaden Schwartz, but both also signed their respective deals at 24 years old. As a result, it meant the team was buying multiple UFA years, whereas in Byfield’s case, a five-year contract almost walks him right to unrestricted free agency.
| Player | Age | First Year of Contract | Signing Year G&P/82 | Career G&P/82 | Mid Point | Cap Hit | On $88M Cap | Payment Rate | Projection |
| Quinton Byfield | 22 | 2024 | 21-56 80GP | 13-40 179GP | 17-48 | $6.25M 5 years | $6.25M 5 years | ||
| Kirill Kaprizov | 24 | 2021 | 40-76 55GP | 40-76 55GP | 40-76 | $9.00M 5 years | $9.72M 5 years | 1.28 | $6.14M 5 years |
| Jaden Schwartz | 24 | 2016 | 20-55 33GP | 24-54 240GP | 22-55 | $5.35M 5 years | $6.45M 5 years | 1.17 | $5.63M 5 years |
With the two comparables, we see a pretty defined set of projections, with Schwartz’s deal projecting Byfield at about $5.6M, and Kaprizov’s deal projecting Byfield at about $6.15M. While Kaprizov’s deal was the more recent one though, he also signed coming off a year where he produced at a much higher rate than Byfield. So despite Byfield having more experience, there’s probably an argument that his value on a five-year deal is actually closer to the projection from the Schwartz contract, a little ways below $6M per year.
Looking at some of the centers who have signed five-year deals at the same age, most would have Byfield lower than his $6.25M cap hit as well. Other than the Auston Matthews contract, which was an outlier deal and arguably an overpayment despite his status as a rising star, the deals for Mika Zibanejad, Dylan Larkin and Sebastian Aho would’ve projected Byfield to be roughly between $5.8M and $6M on a five-year deal.
| Player | Age | First Year of Contract | Signing Year G&P/82 | Career G&P/82 | Mid Point | Cap Hit | On $88M Cap | Payment Rate | Projection |
| Quinton Byfield | 22 | 2024 | 21-56 80GP | 13-40 179GP | 17-48 | $6.25M 5 years | $6.25M 5 years | ||
| *Auston Matthews | 22 | 2019 | 50-99 38GP | 44-80 182GP | 47-90 | $11.64M 5 years | $12.57M 5 years | 1.40 | $6.70M 5 years |
| Mika Zibanejad | 24 | 2017 | 21-54 56GP | 19-46 337GP | 20-50 | $5.35M 5 years | $6.28M 5 years | 1.26 | $6.03M 5 years |
| Dylan Larkin | 22 | 2018 | 16-63 82GP | 19-47 242GP | 18-55 | $6.10M 5 years | $6.75M 5 years | 1.23 | $5.89M 5 years |
| **Sebastian Aho | 22 | 2019 | 30-83 82GP | 28-67 242GP | 29-75 | $8.45M 5 years | $9.12M 5 years | 1.22 | $5.83M 5 years |
**Deal signed via offer sheet
Again though, those deals were for players who had solidified themselves as NHL centers. While that may be the goal with Byfield, the sample size of him playing down the middle in the NHL is quite small. Given centers are typically paid at a premium in comparison to wingers, it’s likely that Byfield should’ve probably been below the range set by any of the centers.
So of the six comps, even with many of them being centers, five of the projections would’ve had Byfield coming in below his current $6.25M cap hit. It’s not necessarily a massive gap, but his value based on comparables was likely closer to the projection from the Jaden Schwartz contract, around $5.6M for a five-year deal.
While Byfield signed for five years, below, we take a look at what deals at a different length may have cost.
8 YEARS
The sample size of eight-year deals for wingers around Byfield’s age is relatively minimal, but comparables are below.
| Player | Age | First Year of Contract | Signing Year G&P/82 | Career G&P/82 | Mid Point | Cap Hit | On $88M Cap | Payment Rate | Projection |
| Quinton Byfield | 22 | 2024 | 21-56 80GP | 13-40 179GP | 17-48 | ||||
| *Clayton Keller | 22 | 2020 | 14-47 82GP | 18-56 167GP | 16-52 | $7.15M 8 years | $7.72M 8 years | 1.48 | $7.13M 8 years |
| Andrei Svechnikov | 21 | 2021 | 22-63 55GP | 24-56 205GP | 23-60 | $7.75M 8 years | $8.37M 8 years | 1.40 | $6.70M 8 years |
| Cole Caufield | 22 | 2023 | 46-64 46GP | 35-56 123GP | 41-60 | $7.85M 8 years | $8.27M 8 years | 1.38 | $6.62M 8 years |
| Vladimir Tarasenko | 24 | 2015 | 39-78 77GP | 30-62 179GP | 35-70 | $7.50M 8 years | $9.24M 8 years | 1.32 | $6.34M 8 years |
Of the four comps above, all of them would have projected Byfield between $6.35M and $7.15M on an eight-year deal.
That said, the recent Juraj Slafkovsky deal would’ve projected Byfield to be higher on an eight-year deal than any of the other comps. While Slafkovsky’s contract will only kick in for the 2025-26 season, adjusting his cap hit to an $88M salary cap this season, the deal still would’ve projected Byfield to be a little over a $7.5M cap hit on an eight-year deal.
| Player | Age | First Year of Contract | Signing Year G&P/82 | Career G&P/82 | Mid Point | Cap Hit ($92M) | On $88M Cap | Payment Rate | Projection ($88M Cap) |
| Quinton Byfield | 22 | 2024 | 21-56 80GP | 13-40 179GP | 17-48 | ||||
| *Juraj Slafkovsky | 21 | 2025 | 20-50 82GP | 16-41 121GP | 18-46 | $7.60M 8 years | $7.27M 8 years | 1.58 | $7.59M 8 years |
While Slafkovsky’s deal does point towards potentially higher value for Byfield than the other projections though, the majority would’ve had Byfield right around $7M per year, give or take a bit, on an eight-year deal.
7 YEARS
At seven years, we see lower projections for Byfield’s cap hit.
| Player | Age | First Year of Contract | Signing Year G&P/82 | Career G&P/82 | Mid Point | Cap Hit | On $88M Cap | Payment Rate | Projection |
| Quinton Byfield | 22 | 2024 | 21-56 80GP | 13-40 179GP | 17-48 | ||||
| Brady Tkachuk | 22 | 2021 | 25-53 56GP | 25-52 198GP | 25-53 | $8.21M 7 years | $8.86M 7 years | 1.67 | $8.03M 7 years |
| *Alex Tuch | 23 | 2019 | 16-39 78GP | 15-36 84GP | 16-38 | $4.75M 7 years | $5.13M 7 years | 1.35 | $6.48M 7 years |
| **Matt Boldy | 22 | 2023 | 23-57 42GP | 25-63 89GP | 24-60 | $7.00M 7 years | $7.38M 7 years | 1.23 | $5.90M 7 years |
| Kyle Connor | 23 | 2019 | 34-66 82GP | 31-59 178GP | 33-63 | $7.14M 7 years | $7.71M 7 years | 1.22 | $5.87M 7 years |
| *Nikolaj Ehlers | 22 | 2018 | 25-64 82GP | 21-54 154GP | 23-59 | $6.00M 7 years | $6.64M 7 years | 1.13 | $5.40M 7 years |
| Viktor Arvidsson | 24 | 2017 | 32-63 80GP | 23-44 142GP | 28-54 | $4.25M 7 years | $4.99M 7 years | 0.92 | $4.44M 7 years |
**Midseason signing – stats from games played in season prior to signing used for signing year stats
Aside from an outlier on the high end with the Brady Tkachuk deal, and an outlier on the low end with the Viktor Arvidsson deal, the other four comps would have all had Byfield between $5.4M and $6.5M per year on a seven-year contract.
Based on the table above, comparables would’ve arguably projected roughly a $6.25M cap hit for Byfield on a seven-year deal, rather than a five-year deal.
6 YEARS
Six years would have been one of the more likely terms for Byfield’s contract, with comparables below.
| Player | Age | First Year of Contract | Signing Year G&P/82 | Career G&P/82 | Mid Point | Cap Hit | On $88M Cap | Payment Rate | Projection |
| Quinton Byfield | 22 | 2024 | 21-56 80GP | 13-40 179GP | 17-48 | ||||
| Tom Wilson | 24 | 2018 | 15-37 78GP | 7-22 391GP | 11-30 | $5.17M 6 years | $5.72M 6 years | 1.91 | $9.15M 6 years |
| Brandon Saad | 23 | 2015 | 23-52 82GP | 21-50 208GP | 22-51 | $6.00M 6 years | $7.39M 6 years | 1.45 | $6.96M 6 years |
| Mitch Marner | 22 | 2019 | 26-94 82GP | 23-76 241GP | 25-85 | $10.90M 6 years | $11.77M 6 years | 1.38 | $6.65M 6 years |
| Travis Konecny | 22 | 2019 | 24-49 82GP | 21-44 233GP | 23-47 | $5.50M 6 years | $5.94M 6 years | 1.26 | $6.07M 6 years |
| ***William Nylander | 22 | 2018 | 20-61 82GP | 21-60 185GP | 21-61 | $6.96M 6 years | $7.70M 6 years | 1.26 | $6.06M 6 years |
| Jonathan Drouin | 22 | 2017 | 24-60 73GP | 15-48 164GP | 20-54 | $5.50M 6 years | $6.45M 6 years | 1.19 | $5.73M 6 years |
| *Jonathan Huberdeau | 24 | 2017 | 22-64 76GP | 17-52 272GP | 20-58 | $5.90M 6 years | $6.92M 6 years | 1.19 | $5.73M 6 years |
| Mikko Rantanen | 23 | 2019 | 34-96 74GP | 27-72 239GP | 31-84 | $9.25M 6 years | $9.99M 6 years | 1.19 | $5.71M 6 years |
| Filip Forsberg | 22 | 2016 | 33-64 82GP | 27-60 182GP | 30-62 | $6.00M 6 years | $7.23M 6 years | 1.17 | $5.60M 6 years |
| David Pastrnak | 21 | 2017 | 37-77 75GP | 28-59 172GP | 33-68 | $6.67M 6 years | $7.83M 6 years | 1.15 | $5.53M 6 years |
| Drake Batherson | 23 | 2021 | 25-50 56GP | 19-44 99GP | 22-47 | $4.98M 6 years | $5.38M 6 years | 1.14 | $5.49M 6 years |
| Johnny Gaudreau | 23 | 2016 | 31-81 79GP | 28-73 160GP | 30-77 | $6.75M 6 years | $8.14M 6 years | 1.06 | $5.07M 6 years |
| *Joel Farabee | 22 | 2022 | 30-57 55GP | 21-45 107GP | 26-51 | $5.00M 6 years | $5.33M 6 years | 1.05 | $5.02M 6 years |
| Rickard Rakell | 23 | 2016 | 23-49 72GP | 14-39 165GP | 19-44 | $3.80M 6 years | $4.58M 6 years | 1.04 | $5.00M 6 years |
***Prorated contract for first year – cap hit for Years 2-6 used for comparison
Of the 14 comparables, eight of them would have had Byfield’s cap hit in a very defined range, between $5.5M on the low end, and $6.1M on the high end. Nine of the 14 comps would’ve also had Byfield below $6M.
So with Byfield’s value likely somewhere in the high $5M range on a six-year deal, based on comps, it’s another sign that the Kings overpaid at a little on their five-year deal.
4 YEARS
If the two sides opted for shorter term, Byfield would have gotten to unrestricted free agency a year earlier (at not even 26 years old), so this length of contract was even less likely than a five-year deal.
| Player | Age | First Year of Contract | Signing Year G&P/82 | Career G&P/82 | Mid Point | Cap Hit | On $88M Cap | Payment Rate | Projection |
| Quinton Byfield | 22 | 2024 | 21-56 80GP | 13-40 179GP | 17-48 | ||||
| Patrik Laine | 24 | 2022 | 38-82 56GP | 35-66 407GP | 37-74 | $8.70M 4 years | $9.28M 4 years | 1.25 | $6.02M 4 years |
| Timo Meier | 23 | 2019 | 32-69 78GP | 23-46 193GP | 28-58 | $6.00M 4 years | $6.48M 4 years | 1.12 | $5.36M 4 years |
| Jason Robertson | 23 | 2022 | 45-88 74GP | 37-80 128GP | 41-84 | $7.75M 4 years | $8.27M 4 years | 0.98 | $4.73M 4 years |
While Patrik Laine’s 2022 contract would project a four-year deal for Byfield up around the $6M range, this would be somewhat unrealistic, given that Laine 1) had much more career experience at the time of signing, which could’ve led to a higher payment rate and 2) the Columbus Blue Jackets were buying more UFA years with the deal.
As a result, Byfield’s value on a four-year deal, based on the Timo Meier/Jason Robertson comps, was likely around the $5M mark.
3 YEARS
If the Kings opted for a two or three-year deal, they could’ve kept Byfield as a restricted free agent upon expiry. Comps for three-year deals are below.
| Player | Age | First Year of Contract | Signing Year G&P/82 | Career G&P/82 | Mid Point | Cap Hit | On $88M Cap | Payment Rate | Projection |
| Quinton Byfield | 22 | 2024 | 21-56 80GP | 13-40 179GP | 17-48 | ||||
| Matthew Tkachuk | 22 | 2019 | 35-79 80GP | 26-64 224GP | 31-72 | $7.00M 3 years | $7.56M 3 years | 1.05 | $5.04M 3 years |
| Anthony Beauvillier | 24 | 2021 | 26-49 47GP | 20-38 333GP | 23-44 | $4.15M 3 years | $4.48M 3 years | 1.02 | $4.89M 3 years |
| *Alex DeBrincat | 23 | 2020 | 41-76 82GP | 35-64 164GP | 38-70 | $6.40M 3 years | $6.91M 3 years | 0.99 | $4.74M 3 years |
| Brock Boeser | 22 | 2019 | 31-67 69GP | 35-68 140GP | 33-68 | $5.88M 3 years | $6.35M 3 years | 0.93 | $4.48M 3 years |
| Nikita Kucherov | 23 | 2016 | 32-70 77GP | 26-58 211GP | 29-64 | $4.77M 3 years | $5.75M 3 years | 0.90 | $4.31M 3 years |
| Kasperi Kapanen | 23 | 2019 | 21-46 78GP | 17-33 133GP | 19-40 | $3.20M 3 years | $3.46M 3 years | 0.86 | $4.15M 3 years |
| Roope Hintz | 24 | 2020 | 26-45 60GP | 19-38 118GP | 23-42 | $3.15M 3 years | $3.40M 3 years | 0.81 | $3.89M 3 years |
If the Kings weren’t going to be able to extend Byfield for a longer term, there was probably some logic in taking the bridge deal now instead to preserve some cap space short-term, then looking to do a larger deal with Byfield down the road. All seven of the comps above would’ve had Byfield between $3.9M and $5.05M on a three-year deal, likely pointing to a cap hit somewhere in the middle, around the $4.5M mark on a three-year deal.
Final Analysis
Byfield is expected to be an even larger part of the Kings’ offense in the coming years, but the Kings also don’t necessarily maximize their value with the contract.
A bridge deal would’ve kept Byfield at a lower cap hit short-term, maximizing the team’s cap flexibility for the next few years. On the other hand, a long-term deal could’ve secured the forward staying with Los Angeles through his entire 20s. With the five-year deal though, the Kings fall somewhere in between, not really getting the benefits of either.
At five years, the deal buys only a single UFA year, leaving him eligible to sign an extension at a much higher cap hit in 2029. Meanwhile, his current cap hit comes in slightly higher than projected, with most comparables for a five-year contract projecting Byfield to be below the $6M mark, likely closer to $5.6M per year on a five-year deal. The $6.25M cap hit roughly represents what comparables would have projected the forward to make on a seven-year contract.
Again, locking up Byfield for term as he’s entering what could be the prime of his career is key. Plus, assuming Byfield takes another step next season, he could quickly make the contract look like a bargain.
Overall the $6.25M cap hit is still relatively fair for the term signed, but comes in slightly above what comparables would have projected for a five-year contract.
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