The 2025-26 NHL season has been an up and down battle for Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield, but the 23-year-old has saved his best for hockey for the right time as he tries to help bring the Kings into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.<\/p>\n
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Video Transcript<\/p>\n
You know, part of me says, like, why would you pick a team from the West?<\/p>\n
You know, part of me says, like, why would you pick a team from the West?<\/p>\n
But I’m going to pick a team from the West, even though they’re going to go up against, you know, what looks like it’s going to be, Colorado or Dallas.<\/p>\n
But I’m going to pick a team from the West, even though they’re going to go up against, you know, what looks like it’s going to be, Colorado or Dallas.<\/p>\n
Like, oh my God.<\/p>\n
Like, oh my God.<\/p>\n
You know, how, how can you figure out, like, how can you, you know, justify a wildcard team beating one of those?<\/p>\n
You know, how, how can you figure out, like, how can you, you know, justify a wildcard team beating one of those?<\/p>\n
But- Oh, boy I, I just look at LA and, you know, DJ Smith is basically coaching to prove that he’s gonna be there next season.<\/p>\n
But- Oh, boy I, I just look at LA and, you know, DJ Smith is basically coaching to prove that he’s gonna be there next season.<\/p>\n
this is his kind of chance.<\/p>\n
this is his kind of chance.<\/p>\n
I think, you know, for a guy like Panarin, you know, he seems really happy there.<\/p>\n
I think, you know, for a guy like Panarin, you know, he seems really happy there.<\/p>\n
Like, I don’t know if you saw the- Yeah the video that was coming out when he went back to the Rangers and, you know, and you wonder Y- you don’t wonder why this guy was so popular in New York.<\/p>\n
Like, I don’t know if you saw the- Yeah the video that was coming out when he went back to the Rangers and, you know, and you wonder Y- you don’t wonder why this guy was so popular in New York.<\/p>\n
He is just so personable, and I think he’s having a great time in LA.<\/p>\n
He is just so personable, and I think he’s having a great time in LA.<\/p>\n
I wish that Kevin Fiala were healthy right now because- Yeah, I know I feel a lot better about the Kings.<\/p>\n
I wish that Kevin Fiala were healthy right now because- Yeah, I know I feel a lot better about the Kings.<\/p>\n
But I’ll, I’ll say that, you know, the, the Kings, you know, they, they could be a team, you know, based on Panarin and based on DJ Smith just being so desperate to kind of stay behind the bench that I, I wouldn’t wanna face them in the first round.<\/p>\n
But I’ll, I’ll say that, you know, the, the Kings, you know, they, they could be a team, you know, based on Panarin and based on DJ Smith just being so desperate to kind of stay behind the bench that I, I wouldn’t wanna face them in the first round.<\/p>\n
All right.<\/p>\n
All right.<\/p>\n
Mm-hmm.<\/p>\n
Mm-hmm.<\/p>\n
All right, Ryan, you’re up.<\/p>\n
All right, Ryan, you’re up.<\/p>\n
Yeah, I’ll go, in the East, I’ll go with the New York Islanders, and, the big reason is Ilya Sorokin.<\/p>\n
Yeah, I’ll go, in the East, I’ll go with the New York Islanders, and, the big reason is Ilya Sorokin.<\/p>\n
Oh.<\/p>\n
Oh.<\/p>\n
here’s a goaltender where if you have to face him in the first round, like, that could be a bad time for you.<\/p>\n
here’s a goaltender where if you have to face him in the first round, like, that could be a bad time for you.<\/p>\n
Like, if any team was to get goalied in a playoff series- Yeah it would be whoever has to play the Islanders.<\/p>\n
Like, if any team was to get goalied in a playoff series- Yeah it would be whoever has to play the Islanders.<\/p>\n
And, you know, obviously we talked about Matthew Schaefer and how great he’s been.<\/p>\n
And, you know, obviously we talked about Matthew Schaefer and how great he’s been.<\/p>\n
Um- Mm-hmm you know, adding Brayden Schenn at the deadline makes them more experienced, heavier up front, a little deeper up front.<\/p>\n
Um- Mm-hmm you know, adding Brayden Schenn at the deadline makes them more experienced, heavier up front, a little deeper up front.<\/p>\n
but to me, it comes down to Sorokin, and this is a guy that has somehow, like, quietly had a Vezina season.<\/p>\n
but to me, it comes down to Sorokin, and this is a guy that has somehow, like, quietly had a Vezina season.<\/p>\n
It feels like- I agree people are talking about other goalies.<\/p>\n
It feels like- I agree people are talking about other goalies.<\/p>\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n
you know, and people are like, “Oh, Vasilevskiy’s a shoo-in.”<\/p>\n
you know, and people are like, “Oh, Vasilevskiy’s a shoo-in.”<\/p>\n
It’s like, okay, yeah, Tampa’s had a lot of injuries, but, you know, Vasilevskiy didn’t start hot.<\/p>\n
It’s like, okay, yeah, Tampa’s had a lot of injuries, but, you know, Vasilevskiy didn’t start hot.<\/p>\n
Sorokin- I feel like we’ve also just been talking a lot about bad goalies so much – Right.<\/p>\n
Sorokin- I feel like we’ve also just been talking a lot about bad goalies so much – Right.<\/p>\n
Yeah we haven’t talked about the good ones.<\/p>\n
Yeah we haven’t talked about the good ones.<\/p>\n
Like The anti-Vezina.<\/p>\n
Like The anti-Vezina.<\/p>\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n
but yeah, like Sorokin, like his goals saved above expected is best in the league last time I checked.<\/p>\n
but yeah, like Sorokin, like his goals saved above expected is best in the league last time I checked.<\/p>\n
so that would be a team that I’d, I’d be kind of concerned, could really lock it down in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
so that would be a team that I’d, I’d be kind of concerned, could really lock it down in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
We’ve seen them do it before.<\/p>\n
We’ve seen them do it before.<\/p>\n
We’ve seen them make runs to the conference final.<\/p>\n
We’ve seen them make runs to the conference final.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t that long ago, and some of those guys are still on that team.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t that long ago, and some of those guys are still on that team.<\/p>\n
They know what they’re doing<\/p>\n
They know what they’re doing<\/p>\n