Patience Paying Off for Homegrown Kings

As the Los Angeles Kings' rising stars shine, their impact is felt not just in California, but across the NHL.

Between a stoic Swede and a young Canadian hailed to be the “next Anze Kopitar”, Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield are hitting their strides at the exact right time for the Los Angeles Kings. Both first round draft picks (Kempe 29th overall in 2014; Byfield 2nd overall in 2020), the two forwards have become critical components to a Kings team trying its best to not only make the playoffs, but hopefully win a championship.

The Swede Life

Kempe, at 27 years old, brings more experience to the table compared to Byfield. However, his journey has been intriguing. He spent his draft +1 year in Sweden with MODO Hockey, where his statistics appeared somewhat underwhelming (5 goals, 12 assists, totaling 17 points in 50 games). This led to extensive debates about his readiness for North American play. Ultimately, he joined the Manchester Monarchs at the conclusion of their season, where he proved integral to their playoff success, tallying 8 goals and 9 assists in 17 games, as the AHL squad went on to win the Calder Cup in their final year in New Hampshire. Kempe spent the next entire season in Ontario (California) with the Reign, going 11-17-28 in 55 games and scoring his first career hat trick. In 2016-17, he played 25 games with the big club tallying 2-4-6. Whatever General Manager Rob Blake saw in him that year and during training camp in the fall of 2017 was enough as the Kramfors native has never gone back to the AHL.

His stat lines since then are as follows:

Kempe’s goal production has substantially increased since the shortened seasons of 2020-2022. Even though his goal output has dropped this season, his assists have shot up like a rocket, proving his merit as a skilled passer.

Kempe is a special player. He’s always been big and fast and skilled, but it seems that around the time he hit his physical peak (typically around age 25 for most athletes), that’s when he put it all together. He has incredible vision on the power play and knows how to find quiet areas of the ice from which he can show off his silky smooth hands. His edge work and speed rival that of some of the best players in the NHL. Best of all, he’s formed the kind of chemistry with Kopitar that the organization has been searching for since 2005. They read off each other beautifully and excel together.

The pair haven’t spent much time apart at 5v5 this season, with both former head coach Todd McLellan and current interim head coach Jim Hiller opting to keep the pair together as much as possible. Over the course of 819 minutes on the same line, they have a very healthy 53.69 CF%. Separate, Kempe’s CF% is 48.9 and Kopitar’s is 50% even. The team without either one on the ice is at 54.25%. In other words, with both Kempe and Kopitar playing alongside each other, the Kings own more than half of all shot attempts. It’s not just the “Anze Kopitar Effect” driving this. Kempe without Kopitar is only marginally worse than with him and same for Kopitar sans Kempe.

On the power play, the dynamic duo are even better together than at 5v5. Kevin Fiala presently leads the team in both goals and assists (11-19-30), but Kempe (who missed 5 games due to injury) is second with 5-19-24 and Kopitar is a close third at 9-13-22. With both of them on the man-advantage, the team controls an incredible 86.54% of shot attempts. Without Kopitar weighing them down, Kempe with other linemates gives the team a 90% control of shot attempts.

If the best defense is a good offense, then the penalty kill is an area where Kempe truly shines. Dating back to 2019-20, Kempe has scored 12 goals and 15 total points while the team was shorthanded. Only Trevor Moore in 2021-22 has outscored him on the penalty kill. He leads the Kings with 8.66 shots per 60 and an incredible 2.89 individual HDCF/60. Once again, only Moore bests him at individual scoring chances per 60 with 7.26 to 5.77 iCF/60. Among his peers league-wide who have played at least 50 minutes shorthanded, he ranks seventh in SF/60; his 11.55 iCF/60 put him 10th. As a formidable force on the penalty kill, Kempe’s ability to disrupt opponents’ plays and capitalize on scoring opportunities highlights his versatility and indispensability within the Kings’ lineup.

While Kempe excels in all areas of the ice, the biggest downside to his game are the numerous penalties he takes. Second only to Pierre-Luc Dubois this season, Kempe’s 28¹ penalties taken underscore a concerning element in his game. Despite tallying 41 goals last season, Kempe’s 44 PIM (far too many), actively hurt the team’s PK performance. He has proven himself a valuable killer, but frequent trips the box did not help the Kings’ miserable 24th overall penalty kill last season.

It sounds obvious, but if he can be more disciplined, Kempe gives himself more chances to score. Last year, he averaged 1.2 goals per 60 at 5v5, which equates to about 21.85 goals (he had 22). For every 2 minutes reduced on the ice, Kempe’s goal production dropped by about 0.04 goals/penalty or about 1.6 goals in 82 games. While this may not seem like a lot, the Kings are currently ranked 23rd in win percentage by one goal this year. His one goal could make a huge difference (especially given that they lost three one-goal games to the Edmonton Oilers in last season’s playoffs). Despite Kempe’s penchant for penalties, he has shown impressive growth both on and off the ice and the Kings are richer for it.

Byfield Busting Through

At just 21 years old, Quinton Byfield faces the high expectations of NHL stardom. The league has a reputation for being the pinnacle of hockey and it can take a while for players to find their footing and adapt, especially those who showed much promise in juniors. Fans are notoriously impatient and some “clever” ones took to social media, expressing their displeasure at the perceived lack of production, loudly and wrongly proclaiming that Byfield was worth giving up on. But they were wrong, so very wrong.

Byfield’s draft profile in 2020 proclaimed him to be Anze Kopitar 2.0 given his size, vision, and hands. That’s a lot of weight to put on a young player, particularly considering how good even the worst players entering the league are. Byfield made his NHL debut on April 29, 2021 to great fanfare and even higher expectations for his projected career trajectory. He centered a line of Kempe and Moore and didn’t look too overwhelmed in his first game. He played six more games with the Kings, finishing out the regular season with the big squad. Byfield started the following year in Ontario before returning to Los Angeles in January 2022. He played an additional 16 games with the Reign in 2022-23 but has since cemented his spot in the lineup.

In his first full season in the NHL, Byfield has demonstrated remarkable performance, accumulating 19-34-53 points in 75 games. Among those who have played at least 500 minutes this year, Byfield is fourth on the team in CF% with a sparkling 59.19. When it comes to limiting shot attempts-against, the Ontario native is, again, fourth on the team, behind only Kevin Fiala, Arthur Kaliyev, and Jordan Spence. Only Fiala has played more games than Byfield. His shots-for per 60 is good enough for eighth on the team, and he is second in limiting shots-against. When Byfield is on the ice, the team gives up the fewest goals-against per 60 at a paltry 1.68. Suffice it to say, he’s doing well both offensively and defensively, the latter being considered critical for success (at least on the Kings).

Most of Byfield’s success this season has come at even strength, rather than on the power play. That’s not to say he isn’t important to the team’s attempts on the man advantage. Of players who spent at least 20 minutes on the power play, his 87.33 CF% is good for eighth on the team. Interestingly, with Byfield and Kopitar on the same unit, the team only controls 75% of all shot attempts. But when he’s separated from both Kopitar and Kempe, the team’s CF% improves to 93.69 — small sample sizes (just under 50 minutes) notwithstanding.

As a young player, the Kings are still easing Byfield into the NHL and have not put him on the penalty kill yet. The coaching staff are trying to set him up for success by giving him soft minutes on the power play and primarily offensive zone starts when possible. However, his defense at 5v5 shows much promise and playing alongside Kopitar means he faces tough competition every night, going up against other teams’ top lines. With the trust the coaches have instilled in him so far, Byfield is thriving in his own right. He has proven to be an invaluable member of the team and will be leaned on heavily in the playoffs despite his lack of experience.

Where the team goes from here will be interesting to see. Kopitar recently signed a two year extension, which expires at the end of the 2025-26 season. Yet, the synergy within the Byfield – Kopitar – Kempe line is undeniable. Kopitar has found two wingers who complement his play exceptionally well. Together, they form a dynamic trio boasting a combination of size, speed, and skill. Their on-ice chemistry is palpable and promises exciting prospects for the team’s chances throughout the season as well as in the playoffs. In a way, they’re reminiscent of That ’70s Line from 2014 with Kopitar shepherding younger players and taking them under his wings (pun very much intended). The threesome have played together for 614 minutes and have a 54.13 CF% at 5v5; they’ve scored 30 goals and have only been on the ice for nine high danger goals against (typically goals scored anywhere in the triangle between the dots to the net), while also scoring 22 high danger goals. Their line is bested only by the tercet of Fiala – Dubois – Moore, who have a 57.05 CF%; have scored 28 goals; allowed nine HDGA and have netted 17 HDGF themselves in 590:40 minutes played together.

Over the last four years, Byfield and Kempe have both made terrific improvements to their games. Both were former high draft picks who have taken the extraordinary pressure they’re under well in stride. Growth isn’t linear and sometimes it seems like players have taken a step back, even mid-season. But as the 2023-24 season draws to a close, it’s clear that Byfield and Kempe are thriving like never before.

All statistics were taken from NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick unless otherwise noted.

1. Per NHL.com, Kempe has 28 penalties but one of them is a 10 minute misconduct, assessed on March 20, 2024 in the match against Minnesota. ↩︎