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“There were a couple deals on the line”- $32.5M Quinton Byfield addresses five-year LA Kings contract extension
Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield discussed the process behind his massive five-year extension. Byfield, the Kings’ first-round draft pick from 2020, was a restricted free agent until both sides worked out the $32.5 million extension.
Regarding the extension, Quinton Byfield had this to say:
“I’m just happy to be an LA King for the next five years.”
The comments captured by LA Kings insider underscore the desire Byfield has to remain in Tinseltown.
But the desire to keep Byfield in Los Angeles was also apparent on the team’s end. Kings GM Rob Blake commented the following on Quinton Byfield’s new contract:
“We are extremely excited to reach an agreement that will allow Quinton to continue to grow with the Kings for the next five years.”
Blake added:
“Since selecting him in 2020, Quinton has demonstrated his commitment to getting better on and off the ice each day.”
While both sides were willing to get a deal done, it wasn’t quite so simple. Determining what type of deal would work for both Quinton Byfield and the LA Kings proved challenging. As such, Byfield stated:
“There were a couple deals on the line and I think we all came to an agreement that this is the best deal for both sides.”
Byfield and the Kings explored everything from a two-year bridge deal to a full eight-year contract extension. In the end, a five-year deal allowed both sides to get what they wanted.
Byfield concluded:
“I want to be an LA King for the rest of my life, so I think it’s just the best deal right now for both sides and we came to that agreement.”
The Kings will hope Byfield continues his upward trajectory as the club looks to establish itself among the Western Conference’s best.
Quinton Byfield contract fair for both sides
A piece in The Hockey News called Byfield’s extension fair for both sides. On the whole, the Kings would have preferred to lock Byfield up for the full eight-year max term. While the dollar figures would have been higher, the contract would have been cheaper in the long run.
In particular, the Kings could have bought more of Byfield’s prime years. Instead, the five-year deal allows Byfield to reach unrestricted free agency sooner.
As for Byfield, he has five years to prove he’s worth the deal he signed. Most importantly, Byfield can prove he’s worth an even bigger deal when the time comes to negotiate another contract extension.
The Hockey News concluded its assessment of Byfield’s extension as follows:
“The Kings got their player, and the player got the security and a good chunk of change in a contract that might be a bit of an overpay early, then team-friendly toward the end. Good for all sides.”
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