The Los Angeles Kings are starting the 2024-25 season without Matt Roy, who joined the Washington Capitals.
Roy was crucial for the Kings, playing 20 minutes a game and helping risk-takers like Drew Doughty. Despite losing him, the Kings haven’t added much to their defense except for an expensive deal with Joel Edmundson. Now they have just $1.4M in cap space left and need young players Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke to step up.
Spence has more experience, having played 101 NHL games over three seasons. He shined in his first pro season in 2021-22, earning an NHL call-up after scoring 42 points in 46 AHL games. That year, he scored eight points in 24 NHL games—fifth-best among Kings defenders. The next year he mostly played in the AHL but still earned a few NHL games.
Clarke is seen as the top prospect for Los Angeles and had an amazing first professional season this year. He competed for the scoring lead on Ontario Reign with 46 points in 50 games —the best rate for an AHL rookie defender since Jack Rathbone and Justin Schultz. Clarke also showed versatility by playing various roles during his first NHL stint.
Young Defenders Stepping Up:
Both Spence and Clarke have shown strong offensive skills but have some weaknesses too. Spence can be pushed around easily at times and avoids going too deep into zones. Clarke is still finding his footing as a pro and hasn’t yet shown top-level breakaway speed fans might expect from elite offensive-defensemen.
Fans might wonder if these young players can fill Roy’s shoes effectively.
Roy wasn’t a big scorer with a career-high of just 26 points, but his departure could open doors for Spence or Clarke to become high-scoring defenders alongside Gavrikov’s defensive support. For one of them to fill Roy’s spot successfully, they’ll need to make significant progress this season.
What do you think? Can Spence or Clarke rise to the challenge?
