LOS ANGELES -- When Drew Doughty went down in preseason, the Los Angeles Kings had the impossible task of replacing a first-ballot Hall of Fame defenseman who's led them in time-on-ice in each of his 16 seasons.
Naturally, all eyes narrowed on young Brandt Clarke, the team's heir apparent to Doughty and top prospect. It asked a lot of Clarke to replace Doughty and he's risen to the challenge, at least offensively.
After his three-point night on Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights, which included an early assist-of-the-year candidate, he's got 11 points in 11 games this season.
Brandt Clarke. Our jaw is on the floor. pic.twitter.com/t20rC8A1Tb
— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 31, 2024
With the puck on his stick, Clarke is proving he's already a top-tier NHL defenseman. His vision, elusiveness and ability to execute plays in the offensive zone are elite.
He isn't the finished article yet, there's work to be done defensively and he needs to get stronger, but he does things with the puck that very few other players can do.
Clarke could walk into most blue lines around the league and be the most talented player in the group and their best power-play quarterback and is proving that early this season.
"He's had a good start point-wise for sure," said Jim Hiller when asked about Clarke's production. "He's taken some risk that's helped him get those points, he's taken some risk that's cost us the other way which don't always go in the column quite as much, so I'm just really cautious with that. He's a good offensive player, there's no question, he just has to play a complete game. We're not going to let him go racing up and down the ice and be a point-a-game player if that's what he ends up with. He's just got to play the game the right way and his points will come. But there's no doubt he's done a good job."
There will be valleys to follow his current peak, and he won't sustain his current scoring pace, particularly after Doughty returns to the top power-play unit, but Clarke is showing he's ready for a big role in the NHL.
He's found a way to be one of the most productive defensemen at every level and it appears that won't change in the NHL.