Quinton Byfield’s 2025-26 season wasn’t a breakout in the way Kings fans have been waiting for, but it still gave a clear picture of where he stands in his fifth year with the club. He finished with 49 points in 79 games, a step below the 50-point mark he reached in each of his previous two seasons, and he remained one of the team’s most important young pieces.
Byfield ranked second on the Kings in scoring behind only Adrian Kempe, putting up 24 goals and 25 assists while averaging 20 minutes per game. That production kept him in the conversation as part of the next generation in Los Angeles, but it also fed the same question that has followed him since the Kings took him second overall in the 2020 draft: is there another level still waiting to come out?
The season had its rough patches, and December stood out as the toughest stretch. Byfield went without a point in 10 straight games while still skating in second-line minutes. His ice time didn’t change, but the inconsistency did, and there were moments when he simply couldn’t find a rhythm.
Even so, there’s still plenty for the Kings to build on. Byfield is only 23 and has already shown he can score, with three straight 20-goal seasons on his résumé.
With Peter Laviolette bringing in a new offensive system, there’s at least a chance that the Kings’ younger players, including Byfield, can get more out of the structure around them. Los Angeles struggled offensively, and a different approach could help unlock more production.
For now, the season reads as solid rather than spectacular. But with Byfield still trending forward and a new system on the horizon, the possibility remains that next season could be the one where he takes a bigger step.
In Other News...
Kings Still Have One Blue Line Problem Ken Holland Must Solve
The Kings have spent much of the offseason talking about the same two priorities: finding a top center and adding another defenseman who can move the puck and help the attack. Brandt Clarke already has his five-year extension in place, which gives Los Angeles a young blue-line piece to build around, but it does not fully solve the need for more offense from the back end.
Ken Holland still has to make the math work, and that is where the challenge gets real. With only about $2 million in cap space, any meaningful addition is going to require a careful dollar-in, dollar-out move, even as the Kings try to strengthen a blue line that could use another skilled option to lighten the load and help a team that needs more production overall. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suddenly Have A 2027 Draft Question Fans Can't Ignore
The early look at the 2027 NHL Draft is already giving teams plenty to think about, and for the Kings it comes with the usual mix of opportunity and uncertainty. The class is being framed as a deep one, with high-end talent at center and on defense, and names like Dima Zhilkin and Timothy Kazda are already surfacing as possible first-round types as scouts start sorting out the field.
For Los Angeles, the bigger question is less about who might be available than what the organization will actually be holding when that draft arrives. It is still far too early to know where the Kings will be selecting, and there is also no guarantee Ken Holland and the front office will even be making that first-round choice themselves, which leaves one more layer of intrigue around a draft that is already drawing attention. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Fiala's Kings Grade Hinges On The Same Lingering Concern
Kevin Fialas 2025-26 season for the Kings was the kind that reminded everyone why he remains such a central piece of the offense when hes available. In 56 games, he delivered 18 goals and 22 assists, production that kept him among the clubs most important scoring threats even after missing nearly a third of the schedule.
The lingering issue for Los Angeles is not whether Fiala can help, but whether he can stay on the ice long enough to make that impact last. He is expected back as a top-six forward in 2026-27, and there is at least the possibility of an offensive reunion with former teammate Mats Zuccarello, which only adds another layer to a season the Kings will be watching closely. [Read more 🡒]