If the Kings’ bus is headed anywhere, there’s a great chance that it’ll be Brandt Clarke driving it.
Last season, no Kings player had a stronger impact in terms of on-ice goal differential. Clarke’s production on the back end was heads and shoulders above his fellow defensemen, all while he led the club in blocked shots despite not playing on the penalty kill.
On Friday, Clarke, 23, put pen to paper on a five-year extension worth $7.4 million per season. He joined forwards Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere among the young building blocks to have signed their second contracts with the Kings. On the heels of Anže Kopitar’s retirement and ahead of the final season of Drew Doughty’s contract, it appears the young voices in the Kings’ room are about to be amplified.
“We’re ready for it, guys like myself, guys like ‘Laf,’ guys like ‘Q.’ We haven’t been around as long as some of the other guys, but we haven’t done enough winning in the past couple years. That’s not up to par; that’s not what we want,” Clarke said. “We want to push the envelope, we want to be a contender, we want to be a team that people are worried (to face), that it’s a big night for them and they’ve got to be on their ‘A’ game. We didn’t have enough of that last season, but we’re ready to turn the page.”
Clarke said that while there was some discussion of a maximum eight-year term during the season, negotiations veered quickly toward a five-year pact as they intensified.
“It was honestly their idea more so than anything. I was open to it. They just thought it was a good idea, I think it was a way of them trying to keep my AAV down,” Clarke said. “I’m just cooperating in any way I can. It came to a good deal where everyone was happy.”
He added: “It’s also very honoring that the Kings gave me this commitment. This is not a slight by any means. This is a big investment in my abilities and their belief in me. Just to get that from them is super flattering.”
Clarke was selected eighth overall in 2021, with his creativity, imagination, skill and offensive instincts making him a lottery pick. The Kings’ stodgy style and Clarke’s strong suits haven’t always enmeshed seamlessly. That could change with the arrival of new coach Peter Laviolette and his righthand man Phil Housley, a defenseman who rode an offensive-minded game all the way to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
“It’s going to be a big change for the L.A. Kings this year, stylistically it’s going to be a different product on the ice. I think it’s going to work well for me, I’ll be involved a little bit more, up on the rush and being encouraged,” Clarke said. “Not that past coaches didn’t want the best for me, but I think stylistically it’s going to allow me to be more up in the play, possess the puck more and things like that. I’m looking forward to what’s ahead and I’m ready to be a little more vocal. I’m really comfortable in the room now.”
Clarke had been making a base salary under $1 million on his entry-level contract, with his new deal kicking him into a higher tax bracket. Now, he can finally invest in real estate in Southern California.
“No huge purchases in mind. Obviously, being in L.A. for the next five years, I’m starting to actually search for a house, and doing some home shopping will be pretty cool,” Clarke said. “I went for a few dinners with different friend groups that I had that were really happy for me. I did pay for those, so that felt nice.”