QB Extended

[LAKINGSFAN]

MSN

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Kings Sign Forward Quinton Byfield to Five-Year Contract | Los Angeles Kings

The contract carries an AAV of $6,250,000 running through the 2028-29 season

www.nhl.com

 

[Kings4OT]

Lol

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

MSN

Kinda assumed as much, honestly. Cap is going up a lot, dude is big with high draft pedigree. Has the highlight goal that has everyone drooling on the potential. LA bought years 4 & 5 with more cap.

 

[Kings4OT]

l. LA bought years 4 & 5 with more cap.

Oh?

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Yikes! I really wasn't expecting a LT deal. I was expecting this type of deal after a bridge. Pressure is on, Buster.

So that leaves about $2.75 million to get Spence and Kaliyev signed I believe? Spence will eat up most of that.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Oh?

I mean, 3 year deal would be more likely "bridge" deal at closer to $3.5 mil/year. The fact that the contract is for 5 years, cutting into his free agency years, Kings increased his amount per year. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's how it seems to me.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Yikes! I really wasn't expecting a LT deal. I was expecting this type of deal after a bridge. Pressure is on, Buster.

So that leaves about $2.75 million to get Spence and Kaliyev signed I believe? Spence will eat up most of that.

Spence eats all of that. Kaliyev is gone soon I think.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I mean, 3 year deal would be more likely "bridge" deal at closer to $3.5 mil/year. The fact that the contract is for 5 years, cutting into his free agency years, Kings increased his amount per year. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's how it seems to me.

Yup, they bought 1 year of his UFA years and that carries a premium. I mean $6.25 on a 5 year deal isn't bad for a soon to be 22 year old, but it's on him now to prove he was worthy of that.

I still think there are significant growing pains to go through, I just hope this doesn't end up in the Blake Poor Contracts pile.

 

[Kings4OT]

Guess i would rather him at 3.5 and less years myself. Buying 2 years by taking 3m cap now for 3y doesnt seem helpful imo. Even if he "breaks out" what would we save those 2y? 2m?

 

[PuckinUgly57]

The issue I have with 5 years is it walks him right to the door of UFA.

I actually have a problem with both the term for that reason and the amount because he just hasn't shown it yet. I understand it's a gamble and the Kings are banking on a value contract hoping he puts up 80+ points consistently but it was just too soon considering his overall body of work.

Kopitar's second contract was 7 years/$47.6 million ($6.8 million AAV) signed by Dumbo on 10/11/08 but didn't kick in until the 2009-10 season. He had 3 years under his belt at that point and put up totals of:

2006: 20/41/61
2007: 32/45/77
2008: 27/39/66

He was a game breaker and two way guy from day one and elevated his linemates whether that be Camelleri, Williams, Brown, O'Sullivan, it didn't matter. He proved he was a franchise center right off the bat and Dumbo jumped on that to get him locked up for cheap.

Buster has one season of 50+ points, a checkered stat line and invisible a lot so I don't understand this contract at all in terms of it being warranted. If he peters out at 50 points overall it will be a massive overpay. If he gets to that 80, it will be a steal.

My point is it was too soon to dole this out but we know Bowlby likes to do that and so far except for Kempe every time it has burned him. He won't be here to see the aftermath so he's probably like whatever, but Buster needs to hit at least 60-70 points this season to justify it.