A Development Plan for Quinton Byfield

Last updated Oct 26, 2022 Edit Source

• News post

• Jack Han

How to give a unique prospect the best chance for success

• Quinton Byfield

• Begin with the end in mind
  • Best case
  1. Plays Center
  2. is a Plus-value contributor both special teams
  3. Challenges for 20 minutes of ice time or more per game
  4. Scores at a point-per-game pace once his game is at maturity
• Show me how you move; tell me who you are
  • Hunched over skating style
  • Shoulders ahead of knees
  • Center of mass prevents loading ankles and staying low through sharp turns
  • Cutbacks will slow him down too much
  • Difficulty with passes on backhand low in the dzone
  • Worst case
  1. Plays LW
  2. Is a middle-six forechecking specialist
  3. Plays 10-14 minutes per game, mostly in a shutdown and PK role
  4. Scores less than 30 points a year
• Embrace the chaos
• The plan
  • Play the entire season in the OHL, aiming to be the best player on the best team
  • NHL team hires a player dev analyst to break down every game and a coach to ske with him every week
  • Does not play in an NHL game until his technical mastery matches that of Malkin at 20
  • In his first NHL season, his KPI is the number of possessions per 60 min; any defensive shortcomings will only be evaluated through the lens of “Is he getting enough pucks?”