The Los Angeles Kings have gotten a big item off their to-do list shortly before the start of the draft. According to a team announcement, the Kings have signed defenseman Brandt Clarke to a five-year, $37MM contract ($7.4MM AAV) through the 2030-31 season.
PuckPedia quickly revealed the year-by-year breakdown of Clarke’s new deal:
Year NHL Salary Signing Bonus Trade Protection 2026-27 $1.4MM $6MM X 2027-28 $3.4MM $4MM X 2028-29 $5.4MM $2MM X 2029-30 $7.4MM X X 2030-31 $7.4MM X 10-Team NTCClarke’s new deal with Los Angeles makes him the second-highest-paid defenseman on the team. In all likelihood, he’ll become the team’s highest-paid rearguard once Drew Doughty’s current contract expires, even if Doughty remains on the team for a few more years.
Drafted with the eighth overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, Clarke has blossomed into exactly what the Kings hoped he would be. In his post-draft season, Clarke quickly became a dominant force with the OHL’s Barrie Colts, scoring 11 goals and 59 points in 55 games.
Although he began the year with the Kings and, subsequently, on a brief trip with the AHL’s Ontario Reign, the Kings surprisingly returned Clarke to OHL Barrie to finish out the season. Having little left to prove, Clarke dominated, scoring a ridiculous 23 goals and 61 points in 31 games with a +40 rating to close out the season.
In the 2023-24 season, Clarke had finally become a full-time professional player. In 50 games with the Reign, Clarke showed off his offensive prowess yet again, scoring 10 goals and 46 points with a -3 rating. Unfortunately, it did not result in many opportunities with the Kings, finishing with two goals and six points in 16 games, a -6 rating, and averaging 13:39 of ice time per game.
His usage was so surprising in the 2023-24 season that Clarke even became a speculative trade candidate should the Kings pursue a big addition. Nevertheless, the team committed to him, and he finished the campaign with eight goals and 33 points in 78 games with a +13 rating.
If there were any more doubts, Clarke got rid of them this past season. He firmly cemented himself as the Kings’ defenseman to build around for the future, registering eight goals and 40 points in 82 games, averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game.
Not only did he have his best offensive season in the NHL, but there’s reason to believe that he has another level to get to. If Los Angeles uses him as their top option, especially in a system designed by Peter Laviolette, Clarke could easily reach the 60 or even 70-point mark.
Additionally, he’s not just an offensive talent, either. He finished first on the team in blocked shots and had the highest possession metrics of anyone on the roster. At only 22 years old, Clarke has all the makings of a top-pairing option in Los Angeles.
Still, this contract, by all accounts, appears like a compromise. There’s little doubt the Kings would have liked to get Clarke locked into an eight-year deal, but settled for five to lower his cap hit. A five-year deal buys out one year of Clarke’s potential free agency, and he will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2030-31 campaign at 27 years old.
Photo courtesy of Robert Hanashiro of Imagn Images.
