Kings Have Started Extension Talks With Brandt Clarke

Back in 2021, the Kings drafted defenseman Brandt Clarke eighth overall with the hopes that he could emerge as a key contributor on their back end.  While there were some stops and starts early on in his career, he has now emerged as a legitimate top-four player.

Set to reach restricted free agency this summer for the first time, it appears that the team is hoping to get something done before it comes to that point.  Speaking to reporters following the recent Artemi Panarin trade (video link), GM Ken Holland indicated that there have been plenty of discussions about a new deal for the 22-year-old with a goal of getting something in place before July 1st.

While having an agreement in place before free agency opens up removes the possibility of an offer sheet, it would also give Holland more certainty of what he does or doesn’t have to spend on the UFA side of things.  Given that there’s a wide range of outcomes, having that extra knowledge would be useful.

For example, AFP Analytics has a pair of projections for him.  A two-year bridge deal could check in around $5MM per season while a seven-year pact approaches the $8MM mark.  Considering eight-year deals are still allowed until mid-September, a potential price tag could even go higher.  That variance is more than enough to cover a UFA signing or two so knowing where Clarke’s next deal will check in ahead of free agency would certainly affect the rest of their planning.

Last season, Clarke’s first full NHL campaign was a successful one.  He picked up five goals and 28 assists in 78 games with largely sheltered minutes as he logged a little over 16 minutes per game with plenty of offensive zone starts.  Clarke then added a pair of goals in their opening-round loss to Edmonton with an even lower workload in terms of playing time.

This season, Clarke has emerged as a consistent second-pairing player.  While his zone starts are still skewed toward the offensive end, his ice time is up past 19 minutes per game, putting him third among Los Angeles defenders.  He has already passed last year’s goal total as he’s up to six and with 21 helpers, he’s on pace to surpass that as well; a 40-point showing isn’t out of the question which would certainly be a boost to his contract value.

While there is a trade freeze in place, there isn’t a transactions freeze.  Roster moves can still be made and contracts can still be registered with the league and announced.  With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Holland and Clarke’s camp resume discussions during the Olympic break to see if they can get a deal across the finish line.