Up And Coming Kings Forward Describes Debilitating Injury He Played Through Last Season
Quinton Byfield has yet to really establish himself in the NHL since being drafted 2nd overall in 2020. The 6'5", 220-pound center has played 99 career NHL games so far, recording just 8 goals and 33 points. Now we know he was playing through an injury that significantly limited his ability to score last season.
In an interview with The Hockey News, Byfield revealed he was playing through a wrist injury last year which made it difficult for him to feel his hands.
"I only got three goals last year, that's definitely what everyone is talking about. But you don't realize what issues and stuff people are dealing with. You know, second game of the year I sprained my wrist and the whole year didn't miss any time [from that injury] and same with the other wrist. So, I couldn't really feel my hands out there the whole year."
We now know that Byfield is capable of playing through significant injuries and still be somewhat effective. He did still record 22 points last year after all. That toughness and mentality will be nice to have on the Kings if he can stay healthy.
Byfield Is Due Some Goals
With his wrist injuries, Byfield had just three goals last season, boasting a measly 4.1% shooting percentage. In the previous year, he had a 12.8% shooting percentage. Assuming his career average should be somewhere in between, likely in the 10-12% range, Byfield should score plenty more goals this year just based on that fact by itself.
Similarly, Byfield may have been more hesitant to shoot the puck last year since he knew his shot was limited by his bad wrists. If he elects to shoot at a higher rate this year that is another factor that should help him find the back of the net more often. We already know the skill is there.
As read on Markerzone: Kings Top Prospect Reveals the Debilitating Injury He Was Forced to Play Through
| POLL | ||
3 OCTOBRE | 182 ANSWERS Up And Coming Kings Forward Describes Debilitating Injury He Played Through Last Season How many goals will Byfield score this year? | ||
| >15 | 41 | 22.5 % |
| 15-20 | 54 | 29.7 % |
| 21-25 | 53 | 29.1 % |
| 26+ | 34 | 18.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
Latest 10 stories
