The Los Angeles Kings announced on Monday that their standout forward, Quinton Byfield, agreed to a new long-term extension with the franchise.
Byfield, who was a restricted agent, agreed to a five-year, $31.25 million extension and is now tied to the franchise through the 2028-29 NHL season. His $6.25 million cap hit is now the fourth highest on the Kings, trailing only the team’s biggest stars, Drew Doughty ($11 million), Kevin Fiala ($7.875 million), and Anze Kopitar ($7 million).
“We are extremely excited to reach an agreement that will allow Quinton to continue to grow with the Kings for the next five years,” Kings’ general manager Rob Blake said after the deal was announced. “Since selecting him in 2020, Quinton has demonstrated his commitment to getting better on and off the ice each day.”
The LA Kings drafted Byfield second overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The Canadian had a slow start to his pro career, recording just 33 points in his first three seasons in the NHL.
However, Byfield made a big leap in 2023-24 when he emerged as one of the team’s best players. He played 80 games, contributing with 20 goals and 35 assists to finish the campaign with 55 points. Byfield also added four points in the postseason.
The Kings are now hoping that Byfield’s breakthrough season won’t be an outlier. If this turns out to be true, the franchise will have a great player on a reasonable contract for years to come.
