There are a lot of factors that go into having a \u201cbig year.\u201d<\/p>\n
And we all know that the Kings need a big year from Brandt Clarke this season.<\/p>\n
With changes on the blueline, as Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence will play elsewhere next season, Clarke\u2019s importance to the team this season shouldn\u2019t need all that much explanation. Ken Holland, on numerous occasions, has spoken about his belief in Clarke and his desire for Clarke to play a larger role this season. We should all want that.<\/p>\n
But I can see why, on the surface, there might be hesitation about whether or not it will actually come into fruition, in ways that don\u2019t really concern Clarke.<\/p>\n
Clarke was technically not a rookie last season but it was his first full go around at the NHL level. He played in games during the 2023-24 campaign but he was largely with the AHL\u2019s Ontario Reign, where he was an AHL All-Star and one of the more impactful blueliners in that league, tallying 46 points (10-36-46) from 50 games played. He came into camp last fall projected in the lineup for Game 1 and he was.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s actually kind of staggering to think about how rare it is to have a defenseman of Clarke\u2019s age playing every night on a playoff team. Of players drafted in 2021 \u2013 Clarke\u2019s draft year \u2013 or later just five played each playoff game their club participated in. Only Lian Bichsel from Dallas did so on a team that advanced past Round 1. Doesn\u2019t happen often on teams at or approaching contention.<\/p>\n
In 2024-25, Clarke played in all but four regular-season games and in all six playoff games. He was in the lineup, certainly, but not utilized as much as he perhaps could have been. Clarke plays a game that is different than just about anyone on the Kings and that\u2019s what makes him such an exciting player. He brings different things to the table.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the usage comes down to coaching decisions, which have a variety of factors involved. It was often wondered if player and coach were on the same page at times last season. For those wondering now, they certainly seem to be. Clarke said he\u2019s been in constant communication with Kings Head Coach Jim Hiller and Associate Coach D.J. Smith throughout the summer, with Hiller specifically expressing a lot of proactive excitement about the season to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cJimmy\u2019s reached out to me a ton of times, sending clips and just talking about how excited he is for me this season and how proud he was of situations and how I handled myself last year,\u201d Clarke said. \u201cIt\u2019s all things I want, it\u2019s really comforting to hear. I want to be an LA King for forever, for as long as I play, so it\u2019s really comfortable, really encouraging that they\u2019re saying all these things to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve always appreciated Clarke\u2019s honesty and willingness to talk with some depth about different areas of his game and his team\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
For example, when asked about how the Jordan Spence trade might open up an opportunity, he spoke first about losing a teammate like Spence, before how it impacts his role and opportunity personally. Skating in Ottawa in the summer, he\u2019s actually been on the ice with a number of Senators players and said he\u2019s told them all \u201chow much they\u2019re going to love this guy.\u201d The person before the moment.<\/p>\n
In getting so much communication from Hiller directly, Clarke wondered aloud if that was common, if that was the norm, at this level. It was, after all, his first summer after a full NHL season, so he doesn\u2019t know anything different.<\/p>\n
He went so far as to ask other players he trains with if that\u2019s normal for them. He said most told him it was fairly uncommon. \u201cUnique\u201d as he put it. And that resonated with him, that the staff thinks of him in that way and it made him feel good about the summer work he was putting in and the expectations for him in the season to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really happy with the communication they\u2019ve had with me, I feel like I know where I stand, I know where they stand and everything\u2019s going good,\u201d Clarke added. \u201cI\u2019m honored to be in that spot and that they see me as a key contributor this coming season and they have the belief in me and just want to know that we\u2019re all kind of on the same page and that\u2019s exactly how I feel. It\u2019s going to be exciting to have camp rolling, go to preseason games and have the puck officially drop in October. It\u2019s going to be good and I\u2019m excited to get things going.\u201d<\/p>\n
For all of the conversation around the defensemen added\/subtracted in free agency, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s enough conversation about specifically about Clarke.<\/p>\n