Contact him at bleeson@postmedia.com. Related:  Phillips feeling confident ahead of NHL draft. Customers are required to register with a credit card in order to bid. Byfield’s worst-case scenario in the NHL: 2) Is a middle-six forechecking specialist, 3) Plays 10-14 minutes per game, mostly in a shutdown and PK role. Ben Leeson is the sports editor at The Sudbury Star. Byfield, meanwhile, spent the year with Sudbury in the OHL, which is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s best development leagues, yet includes players from 16 to 20 years old. With Alexis Lafreniere locked in as the No. His default skating stride is so hunched over that he needs to quickly reset his posture or risk losing the puck. All rights reserved. So does his second-place finish in voting for the team’s Player’s Player Award, behind highly respected captain Macauley Carson, this past spring. Evgeni Malkin is also a relatively hunched-over skater. John Lappa/Sudbury Star/Postmedia Network, Greens choose Toronto’s Annamie Paul as new leader. It’s no surprise that it has been his focus these last several months. Byfield plays the entire next season in the OHL, aiming to be the best player on the best team in the country. A member of Sun Media Community Newspapers part of Postmedia Network. Here is an excerpt of his article: Cam and I seem to be in agreement that Lafreniere is the better player today. Quinton Byfield, right, of the Sudbury Wolves, skates around Nicholas Canade, of the Mississauga Steelheads, during OHL playoff action at the Sudbury Community Arena in Sudbury, Ont. This is sub-optimal because an NHL caliber defenseman can either push him off the puck as he lifts his body or catch up to him and get a stick on the puck when he slows to a near-standstill in the middle of his turn. The successful bidder can request to have it autographed by Byfield if they wish. Sudbury’s net was his and he played that way, en route to winning OHL Goaltender of the Year, then the Red Tilson Award and the league’s most outstanding player in 2018-19. If you enjoy this newsletter and want to see more free content, consider ordering a copy of my e-book Hockey Tactics 2020, edited by a legendary journalist and illustrated by an artist whose work you have surely already seen. But once he gets a first touch on the puck, Byfield becomes his own worst enemy. Byfield’s postural issue flares up in other aspects of the game. Eight chapters, more timely insights, more timeless principles. Please contact Miranda Swain to make arrangements: miranda.swain@sudburywolves.com. While there’s benefit to playing against men, as Byfield is certain to do eventually, there’s huge value in the opportunity to play, and potential dominate, in a high-level junior league such as the OHL, to play a leadership role on a team pushing for post-season success. While gifted with size, strength and speed, the son of Clinton Byfield and Nicole Kasper has much more going for him. If we were to throw Byfield into the fire at the start of the 2020-21 season, I anticipate that he will fail on all four counts. To find out more, read our, This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. 3. Best of all, he keeps getting better. Follow on Twitter: @ben_leeson. A valid credit card is required to bid, the credit card on file will only be charged automatically upon winning an auction. The successful bidder can request to have it autographed by Byfield if they wish. Quinton Byfield, right, of the Sudbury Wolves, skates around Nicholas Canade, of the Mississauga Steelheads, during OHL playoff action at the Sudbury Community Arena in Sudbury, Ont. Sanderson revealed that he has also met with the New Jersey Devils twice and the cost for Columbus to move ahead of them at No. 2) Is a plus-value contributor both special teams, 3) Challenges for 20 minutes of ice time or more per game, 4) Scores at at a point-per-game pace once his game is at maturity. Stutzle spent 2019-20 campaign playing for Adler Mannheim of the DEL, Germany’s top men’s league, where he collected a very respectable 34 points in 41 games. While the process for even top-three draft picks may be far from typical, considering how COVID-19 has played havoc with even big-league sports schedules, Byfield will be given every opportunity to battle for an NHL roster spot, and may well win one. Complete player biography and stats. Indeed, if he goes second overall on Tuesday evening, he’ll be the highest-drafted Wolf of all time, edging out the likes of Mike Foligno, selected third in 1979, Benoit Pouliot, taken fourth in 2005, and Taylor Pyatt, picked eighth in 1999. The Auto Bid Extend feature ensures that bidders will always have a chance to challenge bids placed in the final seconds of an auction. While Quinton Byfield is for the most part a consensus second-overall pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, prospect writer Cam Robinson made the brave and unusual decision to slot Byfield ahead of Alexis Lafreniere in his final 2020 rankings on DobberProspects. While many are justifiably high on Byfield’s skill, skating and size, among many other attributes that make the 18-year-old Newmarket, Ont. NL, BC, AB: $50.00 CAD Give Byfield a quick pass on his backhand low in the defensive zone and see what happens: he stiffens up, his feet get stuck and he bobbles the puck. What the big netminder did not have, however, was the experience of being a leader, a veteran and a mentor, someone his teammates could look to for an example and for inspiration when the going got tough. on Friday March 22, 2019. Proceeds from this jersey will go towards the Children's Wish Foundation. With Rimouski Oceanic winger Alexis Lafreniere acknowledged by most scouts as the top prospect at this point in time, and thus the likely first-overall selection by the New York Rangers, much recent debate has revolved around whether Sudbury Wolves centreman Quinton Byfield, the No. © 2020 St Thomas Times Journal. He does not get enough credit for his playmaking finesse, or for his hockey sense, and his ability to read plays as they develop, at both ends of the ice, has been of huge benefit to Sudbury head coach Cory Stillman, who utilized the hard-working youngster in every situation imaginable last season. But the Russian’s posture is more vertical, allowing him to keep his chin up and to go from free skating to puck handling with a minimum of fuss. Share Adjust Comment Print. But it will take some doing to help Byfield use his skills to create as opposed to destroy. Whether he returns to Sudbury or makes the NHL, big centre’s long-term potential is truly exciting, Quinton Byfield, right, of the Sudbury Wolves, skates around Nicholas Canade, of the Mississauga Steelheads, during OHL playoff action at the Sudbury Community Arena in Sudbury, Ont. A member of Sun Media Community Newspapers part of Postmedia Network. By elaborating on our expectations and laying out the ideal outcome of his development process, we’ll have a better idea of what to prioritize. 2-rated North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, or left wing Tim Stutzle, the top-ranked European by the same service, should be taken by the Los Angeles Kings, in the second-overall spot — leaving the other for the Ottawa Senators at No. If we’re lucky enough to watch him in person for one more season, however, it should certainly be viewed win-win situation. From the Press Box: Quinton Byfield is already a special player... Phillips feeling confident ahead of NHL draft. He was an attacking, daring, creative player who loved chaos and relished the process of finding solutions while his opponents sat stumped. Click Refresh to update them or to see if the auction has been automatically extended by a last minute bid. ON: $30.00 CAD When indicated on a listing page, if a bid is placed during the last 5 minutes of an auction, the auction will automatically extend for an additional 5 minutes from the time of the latest bid. After that the rest will take care of itself. Most recently in the OHL with Sudbury Wolves. Using it to decide on a draft pick Tuesday night would be downright foolhardy. Have the Detroit Red Wings tipped their hand as to their selection at No. The huge variability in his posture throughout a possession might even have positional implications. The sequences are fairly representative of Byfield’s overall game - his exceptional acceleration, strength and reach are on display, and he looks to be a factor all over the ice by hounding the puck aggressively. Forward Quinton Byfield wore this Thor Themed jersey on Friday November 15, 2019 against the Oshawa Generals. There would be absolutely no shame, however, in returning to the junior ranks for one more year, especially if junior leagues get underway sooner than their professional counterparts. This site uses cookies. But tactically he should be given a chance to change the game. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, who only celebrated his birthday back in mid-August, had 82 points in only 45 regular-season contests. This amount will only be a temporary authorization for approximately 7 days, and it will be released thereafter. product a special player, they acknowledge that Stutzle, a slick, savvy native of Viersen, Germany, could be more ready for big-league action by the start of the 2020-21 NHL season, whenever that start may be. If he does slip by the Devils, the race could be on for Columbus to move up the draft board.