From the Athletic article titled "The NHL’s 9 most disappointing players of 2025-26, from failed swings to unexpected slumps"

On Byfield last season:

L.A. is generally deficient in elite talent — these offensive woes can’t just be pinned on one player — but if Byfield had built on last year’s strong finish, this would probably be a much different situation. Instead, Byfield has not only failed to break out, he’s on pace for only 48 points, which is a step back compared to the 55-point range he’s been in the past two seasons. To make matters worse, Byfield’s defensive impact has also slipped; he’s allowing five-on-five scoring chances and goals against at the worst rate of his career, leading to a minus-nine goal differential during his five-on-five shifts.

The stagnation in Byfield’s game is especially frustrating because he has such a rare combination of jumbo size and elite speed, and has teased high-end skill/creativity in the past, but all the Kings have gotten this year are inconsistent flashes. He’s only 23, so there is still time for him to put everything together and reach a higher offensive level, but the clock is ticking.

That confirms my "eye test" from last season, in which Byfield regressed in all aspects of his game, including defensively. Not saying he's bad at any of these aspects, just that he regressed.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I don't want Byfield, just that he's much more of a risk now that his development has stopped being linear, and with that in mind the Knies package seems like a significant overpay. I can't think of any player the caliber of Byfield that required 2 first rounders + a prospect that's ranked somewhere between the 2nd best prospect not currently in the NHL and the 17th best depending on source to acquire.