Quinton Byfield Emerging as Shutdown Centerman Amid Kevin Fiala’s Inconsistency

Quinton Byfield began to break out significantly during the Kings' recent seven-game road trip, showcasing his skills while playing alongside Warren Foegele and Tanner Jeannot. The Kings were firing on all cylinders during this stretch, including their return home, establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the league.

However, once back home, Byfield has taken on a more defensive role as Head Coach Jim Hiller switched Jeannot with Trevor Moore for extended periods since Moore's return from injury. While Hiller deserves credit for effectively managing the lineup and making smart personnel decisions, this change detracted from the offensive production that the Byfield line had generated prior to the move to shut down duties.

Byfield faced difficulties against the combination of Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point but has excelled in shutdown matchups since that encounter. Unfortunately, the Kings' offense stagnated for four games while Byfield focused on these top defensive matchups, with the team scoring only five goals in the four games after his reassignment.

Seeing a top draft pick step up to handle tough matchups is a promising development that suggests Byfield could become a top-flight center, essential for the team's future. However, if Byfield's offensive contributions are being sacrificed, other lines must rise to the occasion. The situation is further complicated by the heavy reliance on the Anze Kopitar line beginning to carry the offensive load and the aspect of the Phillip Danault line featuring Kevin Fiala failing to deliver results commensurate with their combined salary exceeding $12 million.

Additionally, Alex Laferriere's injury has dealt another blow to a lineup already struggling to generate offense. The key focus is finding a way to get Fiala back on track, but this quest impacts Byfield's offensive growth.

Fiala has scored only three goals and an assist with a -2 rating over his last ten games, with two of those points coming off their 5-1 win in Vancouver. With a high-performing Kopitar line featuring Adrian Kempe and Byfield effectively shutting down the opposition's top players, Fiala's situation has become increasingly dire. Although he may not appear to be struggling based on the eye test, his performance is deteriorating.

Among forwards with at least 50 minutes played, Fiala ranks the highest on the team in Expected Goals, with 14.5. This is a number that exceeds the most dangerous forward in the lineup: Kempe. However, he hasn't produced anywhere near the level that Kempe has, and while Kempe is the team's go-to sniper, he has nine more primary assists than Fiala. Unlike Kempe, who is a top forward for the Kings, Fiala's takeaway-to-turnover ratio stands at a dismal 18:44.

The hope is that Fiala's night in Vancouver, a one-goal, one assist night, can spark his game back into shape, as the Kings will need him to be a game breaker down the stretch.

It will be intriguing to see how Hiller tries to reignite and maintain Fiala's performance. He has spent time on the top line with Kopitar and Kempe, a combination that has not yielded success for over two seasons. Aside from playing Fiala with his more reliable center, Danault, Hiller appears to have limited options. This included a failed attempt to put Fiala with Byfield to start the season.

Meanwhile, Byfield will continue developing as a top-matchup center, though by doing so, he sacrifices his offensive game while the team desperately seeks to spark Fiala's production.

This situation raises broader questions about roster strategy and how management handles a player who is compensated as a top-line player yet struggles to perform like one. As the trade deadline approaches, it will be critical for Rob Blake and the front office to evaluate their options.