The Los Angeles Kings are off to a fantastic start in 2023-24. After finishing third in the Pacific Division with 104 points last season, the California-based franchise has picked right up where it left off with a 9-3-3 record over 15 games. They've won two in a row and seven of 10, and remain a top-10 team in the NHL. Currently, the Kings are just six points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for the top spot in the Western Conference, with two games in hand.
Everything seems to be going right in Los Angeles in the early going. Cam Talbot, who was signed to a show-me deal over the summer, has been phenomenal and emerged into a top starting goaltender in the league. That's a pleasant surprise. Anze Kopitar continues to thrive despite being 36-years-old; he's scored 15 points in 15 games, and the fact he's still scoring at a point-per-game pace is a pleasant surprise. Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala both scoring at over a point-per-game clip to lead the team in scoring? Another pleasant surprise.
Clearly, things have been going swimmingly for at least one California team. But maybe the most pleasant surprise of all has been the exceptional play of youngster Quinton Byfield.
Quinton Byfield breaking out in 2023-24
Byfield has played two seasons in the show, scoring 10 points in 40 games in 2021-22 and following it up with three goals and 22 points in 53 games lasts year. This time around, it looks like the breakout has finally come for the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. The 21-year-old has been a fixture on the top line with Kopitar and Kempe, and he's also getting looks on the second powerplay unit along with Phillip Danault, Trevor Moore, Jordan Spence and Arthur Kaliyev.
And Byfield has made the most of the increased minutes in LA. Skating a career-high 14:55 per game, he's accounted for two goals and 13 points in 15 games. He looks like the player that was selected just after Alexis Lafreniere three years ago, and has given this team another offensive weapon alongside Fiala, Kempe and Kopitar. There's a great chance he will eclipse the 60-point mark, if not better, in 2023-24.
Cam Talbot turning back the clock
Coming into the season, the one question mark the Kings had was between the pipes. But Cam Talbot has quickly answered all of them after a terrific start. He's won eight games in 12 stars, while sporting a sparkling 2.11 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in front of a strong defensive core.
The 36-year-old is bouncing back from a difficult season with the Ottawa Senators, and he looks like he's returned to the form he showed earlier in his career with the Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers. With him playing lights out again, Los Angeles is looking like a true Stanley Cup contender.
Alex Laferriere struggling to adjust to NHL level
It's honestly hard to say that anyone on this Kings team has been a big disappointment through nearly one-fifth of the season. But one player who is struggling is Alex Laferriere; he's 14 games into his rookie season and doesn't have too much to show for it.
The former Des Moines Buccaneer has just two goals and two points through 14 games, while averaging 13:04 of time on ice. He was skating on the fourth line before being demoted to the American Hockey League's Ontario Reign, a place he played four games last year. Laferriere was exceptional in his final season at Harvard, scoring at above a point-per-game clip with 21 goals and 42 points in just 34 games.
It's going to take some time for this player to adjust to the National Hockey League game, and Laferriere is the biggest disappointment on a team that really doesn't have any disappointments through one-fifth of the season. Viktor Arvidsson has been on the IR for most of the campaign with a back injury, and Laferriere could be the odd man out and spend more time in the minors before getting a full-time shot. Probably just what he needs is to get acclimated to professional hockey in Ontario, and even if he is sent down again, he's going to be a valued piece of this team before long.
Overall, the LA Kings are in great shape in 2023-24. The offense is red-hot; the 3.87 goals the Kings score per game is good enough for third in the league, and Talbot is helping them give up just 2.73 goals — that's good for ninth. It looks like this team is ready to put it all together and truly compete for a Stanley Cup starting next April. If Talbot can keep up his exceptional play, and the offense continues to thrive under Todd McLellan, this could be one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference.
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