Quinton Byfield is heading into the kind of season that can change the conversation around him for good.
The Kings’ young center is no longer being asked to merely show flashes or keep nudging toward stardom. With Anze Kopitar retired, Byfield is projected to slide into the top-line center role for Los Angeles in 2026-27, with Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin on his wings. That’s a massive opportunity, and it comes after a 2025-26 regular season that was productive, but not quite the leap the Kings were waiting for.
Byfield finished last season with 24 goals, 25 assists and 49 points in 79 games. That gave him a career-high in goals and extended his streak to three straight seasons with at least 20 goals, but it also marked a step back in overall production after back-to-back 50-point seasons. For a player averaging more than 20 minutes a night, the bar was higher.
The year unfolded in waves. Byfield opened the season with just five goals through the first three months, then found another gear late.
Once he returned from injury in the final couple of months, his game picked up in a hurry. Over the final 15 games, he scored double-digit goals and totaled 16 points, leading the team in points during that stretch.
By mid-to-late March, he was playing the best hockey of his regular season and, arguably, some of the best hockey of his Kings career.
There were still signs of a player doing plenty of good work even when the scoring wasn’t always there. Byfield’s 2025-26 advanced numbers included a 13.3 shooting percentage, 1.9 points per 60, 4.9 point shares and 2.1 WAR.
His possession profile was strong too, with a 53.4 CF%, 53.0 SCF% and 52.4 HDCF%. He also tied a career high with four game-winning goals.
In the playoffs, he wasn’t dominant, but he did make his presence felt in the first round against the Colorado Avalanche. Byfield picked up assists in Games 2 and 3 and led all Kings forwards with five takeaways in the series.
The big question now is whether the late-season surge carries over. The Kings are counting on Byfield to become a true first-line center, not just a player with that upside.
Playing next to Panarin could raise his offensive ceiling in a hurry, and it may also help Kempe keep producing goals at a high clip. But the Kings do not need Byfield to become a 40-goal scorer overnight or suddenly turn into the team’s primary playmaker by himself.
What they do need is a step into the role that has been waiting for him. Entering Year 6 of his NHL career and Year 3 on his current contract, Byfield is under more pressure than ever to turn the hype into something unmistakable. This season is about proving he can live up to it.
In Other News...
Kings Still Have One Blue Line Decision Left Before Camp
The Kings have already done plenty of offseason work under new general manager Ken Holland, but the blue line still looks like the one area where there is room for another move before training camp. Los Angeles has veteran depth in place, so any addition at this point would likely come on a low-cost deal or a professional tryout, with the idea of creating a little more competition rather than forcing a major roster change.
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 🡒]