Quinton Byfield’s next contract, bridge or long term?

Quinton Byfield’s breakout season couldn’t have come at a better time, not only for concerned LA Kings fans but for the player due for a pay raise this summer.

Coming off a year with inexistent roster flexibility due to salary cap constraints, general manager Rob Blake heads into an offseason with work at hand. First on the agenda is whether to sign his young forward to a long-term extension or a bridge deal.

Build the “bridge”

The idea of a “bridge” contract essentially points to asset management. Players who have not met the requirements to become unrestricted free agents after their entry-level contracts expire assume the title of restricted free agent (RFA).

As an RFA, you may only sign with the team that controls your rights, unless presented with an offer sheet. But that’s a whole other can of worms we rarely see anymore (though they are fun).

So as it pertains to the LA Kings and Quinton Byfield, he won’t reach unrestricted free agent (UFA) status until 2028, according to Puckpedia.com. With that being the case, a bridge deal to preserve his RFA status is intriguing.

Long term deal

A long-term contract extension is another route Rob Blake can take. If he feels Byfield can become the player he was projected when drafted with the second overall pick in 2020, then signing the 21-year-old to a long-term deal isn’t a gamble.

It’s a route many teams have taken in the past with their young stars. Last year, the Minnesota Wild signed 2019 draft pick Matt Boldy to a seven-year contract at a $7 million AAV. Boldy, who was 21 at the time of the extension similar to Byfield, finished with 63 points on the season and upped that mark to 69 points this year. A good sign for Wild fans.

Contract Projections

Evolvinghockey.com projects a bridge contract for Quinton Byfield at 2-3 years around $3-$4 million per season, while they view a long-term extension at 7-8 years around $6 million per, although I expect that number to be closer to $7-$8 million.