LA Kings Training Camp Preview: Quinton Byfield

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LA Kings Training Camp Preview: Quinton Byfield

Originally posted on Hockey Royalty | By Kyle Garcia | Last updated Jul 27, 2026 1:01 PM ET

With training camp just around the corner, we are previewing each player on the LA Kings roster. Up first: Quinton Byfield!

Quinton Byfield

Birthdate: August 19, 2022

Birthplace: Newmarket, Ontario

Height: 6’5

Weight: 230 lbs

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Draft: 1st round, 2nd overall, 2020 NHL Entry Draft

2025-26 season

After a strong end to the 2024-25 campaign, Byfield looked to take the next step in his game, but it never materialized. With captain Anze Kopitar’s impending retirement, Byfield was never able to take off. Injuries, which saw him suffer two separate torn obliques, and inconsistency took their toll on the 23-year-old’s season, despite him recording a career-high 24 goals.

When Kopitar went down with an injury, then-head coach Jim Hiller opted to deploy winger Alex Laferriere as the team’s number-one center instead of Byfield; that pretty much summed up the season for Byfield. All in all, Byfield finished the season with 24 goals and 49 points with 20 minutes of ice time in 79 games. He finished the season with 11 goals in 15 games to help the Kings squeak into the playoffs.

BEAUTY FROM QB pic.twitter.com/x8UtkHyxOR
— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 25, 2026

QUINTON BYFIELD pic.twitter.com/1Jeb3OBMZh
— LA Kings (@LAKings) April 14, 2026

2026-27 outlook

The 2026-27 season will mark uncharted waters for the franchise in 21 years. Now that Kopitar has hung up his skates, the Kings have a GIANT hole at the number-one center position. Some might say the Kings don’t have a legit number-one center on the roster at the moment that you can trust.

Well, that is a spot for Byfield to finally grab and run with it. The Kings won’t have their safety net to fall back on in Kopitar in critical defensive zone faceoffs, matching up against the opposition’s best, eating the big minutes, and much more. If you remember Ken Holland’s comments in his end-of-season media availability, he stated this was going to be Byfield’s team up front.

If penciled in as the number-one center, Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin should be on his wings. With Kopitar no longer in the fold, it’s sink or swim time for the former 2020 second overall pick. This is what the franchise envisioned him as when Kopitar retired, and now that day is here. We’ve seen flashes of potential, but now it’s time to put it all together in an 84-game schedule.

This article first appeared on Hockey Royalty and was syndicated with permission.

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