Kings Lose Byfield To Fractured Ankle

Quinton Byfield’s pursuit of the Calder Trophy is off to a tough start.

The No. 2 overall pick from the 2020 draft was drilled into the boards in the LA Kings’ preseason bout with the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday and the team announced Wednesday that he suffered a fractured ankle. Byfield will be placed on the Injured Reserve and is out indefinitely.

After scoring eight goals and 20 points over 32 games as an 18-year-old in the AHL last season, Byfield was set to come into the 2021-22 season as one of the league’s top rookies. He had a six-game cup of coffee with the Kings in 2021 and recorded one assist.

This is an unfortunate blow for the Kings, who are trying to push back towards being a competitive team after a few years of rebuilding. Over the offseason, they added Alex Edler and Phillip Danault in free agency and traded for Viktor Arvidsson with the goal of competing for a playoff spot.

LA has stockpiled an impressive group of young talent over the past few years, with Byfield being viewed as the key young star they’re going to build around.