Brandt Clarke is making quite a name for himself with the Los Angeles Kings, even if he can’t officially compete for “Rookie of the Year” honors.
The 21-year-old defenseman missed the Calder Trophy eligibility by just a handful of games, having played 25 NHL games before this season. But that’s not stopping him from turning heads.
Clarke’s been absolutely crushing it this year. He’s leading all Kings defensemen with 21 points in 37 games, outpacing Vladislav Gavrikov by five points.
What’s even more impressive? He’s one of the youngest players in the entire league – only 19 NHL players are younger than him.
The numbers tell an amazing story. When Clarke’s on the ice during even-strength play, the Kings have scored 29 goals while giving up just 17. That’s good for a 63% goals-for percentage, ranking him fifth among all Kings players.
New Kings coach Jim Hiller noticed Clarke’s talent right away. He bumped the young defender up to top-pair minutes in November, though Clarke eventually settled back into a second-pair role as his scoring cooled off.
But here’s where it gets really interesting: Clarke’s stepped up big time on the power play. He’s already matched team legend Anže Kopitar with six power-play points this season.
His emergence couldn’t have come at a better time. The Kings lost star defenseman Drew Doughty to a broken ankle in October, leaving a huge hole on the right side of their defense. Clarke, along with Jordan Spence, has helped fill that gap impressively for a team that’s looking playoff-bound.
Doughty’s getting closer to returning, already back in skating drills. That’ll shake up the defense pairs a bit, with Gavrikov likely moving back to his natural left side.
Here’s something to keep an eye on: Clarke’s on pace for 47 points this season. That would put him right between Kings legends Alexei Zhitnik (48) and Rob Blake (46) for rookie defenseman scoring in franchise history.
Those are some pretty big skates to fill. But the way Clarke’s playing, he looks ready to follow in their footsteps as the Kings’ next defensive star.
