The Toronto Maple Leafs face a strenuous situation moving forward. The club has lost defenseman Chris Tanev for an indefinite span. Based on the horrific injury he sustained in Philadelphia, there’s no telling if and when he’ll be back this season.
That situation has left a hole in the team’s blue line. Depth defensemen Dakota Mermis and Philippe Myers have done a decent job of filling in for now. On Wednesday night against the Utah Mammoth, the Myers-Mermis pairing looked serviceable enough.
But what if the Maple Leafs could add a promising young blueliner? What is that D-man could provide some much-needed punch to support the offense?
That blueliner could be Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke. Clarke has been the subject of trade speculation for quite some time. But according to a piece by James Murphy of RG Media, the Kings won’t be moving Clarke anytime soon.
Despite the Kings’ public narrative of not wanting to move Clarke, the team’s usage of Clarke seems to indicate a different trajectory.
In his last game against the Winnipeg Jets, Clarke hit the ice for just 14:20. That ice time is not indicative of a top-four blueliner. That’s something that could drastically change with the Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs have a relatively aging defense core devoid of any real up-and-coming blueline prospects. The team does not have a high-end defenseman in the pipeline. So, acquiring one such as Clarke could be a step in the right direction.
Looking at Clarke’s Fit on Maple Leafs’ Blue Line
Clarke is a right-shot defenseman, something highly coveted in today’s NHL market. That situation could make him a solid fit with the Maple Leafs. He could initially slide into the Maple Leafs’ bottom pairing with Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
However, the upside for Brandt could be much higher. He could get some reps with Morgan Rielly on the top pairing, meanwhile, Brandon Carlo and Jake McCabe take care of the shutdown duties.
Playing with Rielly could be the best path forward for Clarke. While he’s not the most defensive defenseman in the league, it wouldn’t really matter. The Leafs need more offense from the back end. Clarke can deliver that.
Once Tanev returns, if he does at all, the Maple Leafs could deploy Clarke in various roles. That situation would ultimately depend on how he fits in with the other defensemen on the club.
Toronto Could Kick Tires on Trade for Clarke
The biggest cause for speculation regarding Clarke is his lack of an extension. He’ll be an RFA at the end of the season. That situation has teams around the league keeping an eye on the 22-year-old.
As Murphy noted, the likeliest holdup for Brandt’s new contract is Adrian Kempe’s extension. But that doesn’t mean the Kings couldn’t move him, especially for the right return. That’s something the Maple Leafs may struggle to come up with.
The Leafs don’t really have the sort of pieces that could wow the Kings into making a deal. But then again, Los Angeles may choose to cut their losses and get something useful in return.
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