Promising rookie striker Quinton Byfield, 19, is out for the Los Angeles Kings indefinitely with an ankle injury

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield, a highly acclaimed rookie already mentioned as a Calder Trophy contestant, suffered a broken left ankle in Wednesday’s preseason game against the Arizona Coyotes and is indefinitely out of action.

Byfield, 19, number 2 overall in last season’s NHL draft, has been put on the injured reserve and is being re-evaluated. The Kings begin the regular season on October 14th.

Byfield suffered the injury in the third third of the Kings 1: 4 defeat when he awkwardly hit the corner boards in a collision with the right wing Christian Fischer of Arizona. Byfield could not put weight on his left leg and was helped by the ice.

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“It was a clean hit. It was unfortunate,” said Todd McLellan, Los Angeles coach. “He hit the boards. One skate went one way and one the other. It’s in a corner. If he’s right in a straight he would have gotten away with rolling, but there was nowhere. No dirty hit . “

Byfield had an inside track to center the fourth line that went into the opener against the Vegas Golden Knights. He spent most of last season with Ontario in the American Hockey League, but played for the Kings in six games, finishing them with an assist.

With the Kings being the final end of a rebuilding for many, there have been high hopes for Byfield this season, especially given the veteran presence Los Angeles has brought in to join one of the league’s younger core groups. The Kings are hoping to battle for a playoff spot this season and while Vegas is the clear favorite in the Pacific Division, the Kings roster does well with many other teams in that division.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.