Brandt Clarke (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Brandt Clarke has never been shy about gambling with the puck, and his next payoff will be his biggest yet.
Now that the L.A. Kings tied down their leading scorer for the next eight years, could their No. 1 defenseman of the future be next?
Since he was hired in May, GM Ken Holland said that Adrian Kempe’s contract extension was the No. 1 priority and that any other business would come after that. With Kempe signing an eight-year, $85 million deal on Sunday, that left the restricted free agent to be Clarke as the most prominent King not yet under contract for next season.
Though the timing was largely coincidental, Holland met with Clarke’s agent, Randy Robitaille, during the Kings’ recent road swing through Ontario.
Clarke described the meeting as “very preliminary” and said that “nothing was set in stone,” but did speak to his own desires and preferences.
“I want to be here for a long time, honestly, I want to be here for a long time,” Clarke told RG Media in an exclusive interview. “That’s what I’ve told Randy, and that’s what I want the message to be.”
“I want to be locked up and I want to be an L.A. King for a while,” Clarke continued. “I love it here, I love the group of guys we have and the staff’s been so great to me since the day I got here. That’s where my head’s at. Like I said, it’s very preliminary, but I want to take those steps to lock myself in as an L.A. King for a while.”
Increasing his Value
Clarke has earned high marks from new Kings GM Ken Holland, whom RG’s James Murphy reported has rebuffed any circling contemporaries seeking to hop on a former lottery pick not yet under contract. He’s even won over Coach Jim Hiller, who was astonishingly loath to praise Clarke last season, and his lead assistant D.J. Smith.
Holland described Clarke, 22, as a vital component of not only the future but the present for the Kings, whom he is pacing in scoring from the blue line with impressive underlying numbers through the first quarter of their campaign. Clarke stated that his goals had been to improve his play in the corners and along the wall, while also becoming more of a shot-blocking force with quicker feet to close space in crucial areas like the blue lines.
Hiller said that by season’s end last year, Clarke’s awareness at both ends was more than adequate. He added that an intensive summer in the gym left Clarke more capable of handling the physical rigors of defense and playing a more confrontational style, plaudits that Smith echoed to Clarke privately.
“They talked to me over the summer and they said you’re a big part of what we’re doing here and that they want me to take a big step this season,” Clarke said. “D.J. (recently) came to me and he said that my defensive game is even more advanced than he thought it would be at this point in the season. I just want to keep making them happy and proving them right, in a sense, because they put a lot of trust in me.”
Clarke showed resplendent flashes two seasons ago, including his bench-rousing game-winner in Boston, but was left off a goal-starved playoff roster that featured the likes of Andreas Englund on its back end. Last year, he also saw a diminished role in the postseason as well as some midseason scratches and minute reductions. Two such scratches followed soon after another game-breaking play that stole two points from the defending champion Florida Panthers. Early in the campaign, Clarke had a stretch with 11 points in just nine matches.
“I got off to a good start last year, and our team got off to a good start last year, I was really happy about that,” Clarke said.
“But it’s a long season, and it was my first full season in the NHL. There are highs and lows that young players go through. I was really happy with how I progressed, but maybe there were some moments where I wasn’t at my best. I’m the first one to call myself out and critique myself. If I don’t learn from it, it’s not a positive [experience].”
Fate Beckons Once More
As was the case last season, Clarke may have some additional opportunities to shine in the absence of Drew Doughty. Though Doughty’s time in the pressbox was expected to be much shorter than the 52 games he missed in 2024-25, Clarke comprehended what might be required to replace the Kings’ perennial time-on-ice leader.
“We all have to raise our game. There might be a little more emphasis for me, getting thrown in late-game situations down a goal or whatever it may be. Like (against Washington), my minutes did go up a little bit,” Clarke said. “I’m ready for it, I just want to help the team win in the best way I can. If that means calling my name more or shutting guys or holding a lead or managing the puck better, I’m ready to do whatever it takes.”
Clarke said that despite the Kings losing their top defender from last season, Doughty’s stand-in on the top pair, Vladislav Gavrikov, and striking out on big-name forwards like Mitch Marner, he felt the continuity, character, and care for one another would be key as the Kings sought to advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
After losing four straight first-round series to the Edmonton Oilers, the Kings are counting in significant measure on the internal improvements provided by players like Clarke, Quinton Byfield, and Alex Laferriere. Clarke has displayed more dynamic gap control and surfed the blue line more effectively so far, adjustments that could not only improve his defense but help turn it into transition offense.
“That’s how I want to play, I want to kill plays early. Against Ottawa [on Nov. 15], I think I did a really good job of holding the blue line and surprising them at the blue line, using my stick to just poke it off guys, and then we were moving back up the ice,” Clarke said. “Last year I didn’t do that as much because I was just adjusting to the speed and how guys were coming in on me, but now I don’t think that’s a concern at all, I’m ready to take on whoever.”
