The Los Angeles Kings have two young pillars showing up on a hypothetical Team Canada roster, and both names tell the same story: Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke are moving into much bigger roles.
Sportsnet recently rolled out a projected under-25 Canadian lineup, and even with the country’s talent pool packed tight, Byfield and Clarke both cracked the group. For the Kings, that’s another sign that two of their most important pieces are getting noticed well beyond Los Angeles.
Byfield landed in a loaded forward mix, where he was placed on the top line with the San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini and the Utah Mammoth’s Dylan Guenther. That fits with the way the Kings are preparing to use him.
With Anze Kopitar retiring this offseason, Byfield is set to center the Kings’ top line this upcoming season, skating alongside Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe. He’s also expected to step into the No. 1 center job as training camp and the preseason approach this fall.
Clarke’s placement came on the blue line, where Sportsnet projected him on the second pairing next to Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power. He was the only defenseman from the Pacific Division in the outlet’s projected top-six group, which says plenty about how he’s viewed. Clarke is coming off a career-high 40 points, including eight goals, and that kind of production helps explain why his offensive ceiling remains so highly regarded.
For the Kings, the timing matters. Clarke is expected to keep pushing toward becoming a top-flight defenseman in the Western Conference in the upcoming 2026-27 season, while Byfield is being handed a much heavier workload in the middle of the ice.
Neither player is close to being a sure thing for a real Team Canada roster just yet. But their inclusion on Sportsnet’s hypothetical U-25 team underscores how much respect they’ve earned among the NHL’s young Canadian talent. And for Los Angeles, it points to something even more immediate: both Byfield and Clarke are about to carry a lot more responsibility in this new era.
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One name worth watching is Nick Blankenburg, a defenseman who could fit that exact kind of depth role if the Kings decide to keep shopping the free-agent market. He would not need to arrive as a splashy signing to matter, and for a team that already has some experience on defense, the appeal is straightforward: another option, another push for jobs, and one more way to keep the back end sharp heading into camp. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Enter Camp With Two Huge Lineup Battles Still Unsettled
Peter Laviolettes first training camp in Los Angeles arrives with most of the roster picture already sketched in, thanks in part to Ken Hollands veteran additions and a core that looks familiar on the back end. Artemi Panarin, Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe are projected to anchor the top line, while Brandt Clarke is set for a bigger workload on defense as the Kings try to build on a group that has been largely kept intact.
The real intrigue is up the middle, where the lineup still has room for movement before opening night. The second- and third-line center spots remain unsettled, and that kind of uncertainty gives camp a little more edge than usual for a team that otherwise looks fairly set. Even with a clear framework in place, Los Angeles still has a few important decisions to make before Laviolette can settle into a true opening-night order. [Read more 🡒]