Kings Defender Shining in First Full NHL Season

The Los Angeles Kings are seeing immediate returns as their top young defender plays his first full season in the NHL.

Nov 2, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke (92) skates with the puck against Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato (8) in the third period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Kings could have fallen off a cliff following the preseason injury to defenseman Drew Doughty. The Kings' top player and anchor on the blue line is out long-term after fracturing his ankle, leaving the organization in need of another puck-mover who can shoulder the minutes and responsibility Doughty occupied.

While the injury to Doughty is an awful occurrence, it paved the way for the Kings to give their top young defender a full-time role in the NHL. 21-year-old defender Brandt Clarke, the team's first round pick in 2021, made the team out of training camp. And in his first full season in the league, Clarke is not only holding his own, he is shining and surpassing expectations.

Clarke has been excellent through the first 13 games of the season, and he's a huge reason why the Kings are off to a 7-3-3 start. He has one goal, 11 assists, and 12 points to lead the team in defensive scoring.

And watching him play, even for a game, it's easy to see how good he is. He is a phenomenal skater, and that ability only improves when the puck is on his stick.

Take a look at this goal he assisted on in a recent victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. He starts by smartly analyzing the offensive opportunity and joins the rush towards the net. Attacking the middle of the ice with speed, he opens himself up for a feed from the half-wall. Feeling the defender closing in on him, he hits a silky spin move to deke the defenseman, leaving him wide open to find his teammate Anze Kopitar for an easy tap-in goal.

It's a play that few defensemen are capable of making, and even fewer 21-year-old defensemen can do what Clarke made look so easy. He is making these spectacular plays routinely on a nightly basis and he is filling in admirably for Doughty. And while Clarke might not be at the James Norris Trophy level quite yet, he is shining in his first full season in the NHL.

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