The Los Angeles Kings’ difficult start to the 2026-27 season took another hit Tuesday night when center Quinton Byfield left the game against the Washington Capitals after skating just four shifts.
The Kings said Byfield was dealing with an upper-body injury. According to Kings team reporter Zach Dooley, Byfield went down during Los Angeles’ team practice on Monday and described himself as “a little tight” afterward.
Byfield’s absence lands at a key moment for both player and team. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft is in the third season of a five-year contract that carries a salary cap hit of $6.25 million, and this is the year he steps in as the Kings’ top center after the retirement of franchise legend Anze Kopitar.
His season numbers have been slow to match that responsibility. Through six games, Byfield has two points, one goal and one assist, along with a minus-6 rating while averaging 21:03 of ice time per game.
There are some signs underneath the surface that better days could be coming. At 5-on-5, the Kings are controlling 65.47% of the expected goals while Byfield is on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Still, the bigger picture for Los Angeles has been ugly. Coming into Tuesday’s game in Washington D.C., the Kings were the NHL’s only winless team. They had picked up points in overtime losses to San Jose and Vegas, but had dropped their other four games in regulation, including three by at least three goals.
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