Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News reports that Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Brandt Clarke will take home Player and Defenseman of the Month honors for the month of March in the Ontario Hockey League. In just nine games, playing for the Barrie Colts, Clarke put up an extremely impressive 11 goals and 11 assists, all while carrying a +/- of 16.
Drafted eighth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Clarke has spent the majority of his last four seasons playing in Barrie, while also spending one season for HC Nove Zamky of the Slovak Extraliga on loan. The young defenseman has now suited up in 143 OHL games, scoring 40 goals and 118 assists. Clarke has primarily been commended for his ability as a defenseman to create the rush and join in with it.
This season, Clarke was able to suit up in nine games for the Kings earlier in the season, scoring two assists during his time. Averaging over two points a game in the OHL this season, Clarke should be expected to earn a full-time job with the Kings next season.
More from around the league this afternoon:
- After speaking with the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe, this morning, Mark Masters of TSN passes on that center Ryan O’Reilly is unlikely to return to Toronto this week. This is still within the timeline that the Maple Leafs initially gave, as they stated O’Reilly would be out for four weeks with his injury. Getting off to a dismal start to the year with the St.Louis Blues, O’Reilly picked up his play a bit, scoring three goals and two assists after eight games in Toronto.
- After scoring one goal and one assist in his first-ever game in the NHL, Buffalo Sabres’ forward Lukas Rousek will be returned to the team’s AHL affiliate Rochester Americans. Drafted 160th overall in 2019, the Sabres forward has scored 49 points in 62 games for Rochester and seemed to translate that talent to the NHL in the team’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens. As Rochester is in the midst of a playoff hunt coming down the wire, expect Rousek to be a big part of that.