By admin 
The Los Angeles Kings could have fallen off a cliff after the defenseman’s preseason injury Drew Doughy. The Kings’ top player and anchor on the blue line is out for an extended period after breaking his ankle, leaving the organization in need of a new puck mover who can take on the minutes and responsibility Doughty occupies.
While Doughty’s injury is devastating, it paved the way for the Kings to give their top young defenseman a full-time role in the NHL. 21 year old defender Brandt Clarkethe team’s first-round pick in 2021, pulled the team out of training camp. And in his first full season in the league, Clarke is not only holding his own, he is excelling and exceeding expectations.
Clarke has been excellent through the first thirteen games of the season, and he is a big reason why the Kings are off to a 7-3-3 start. He has one goal, 11 assists and 12 points to lead the team in defensive scoring.
And when you watch him play, even for a game, it’s easy to see how good he is. He is a phenomenal skater, and that ability only improves when the puck is on his stick.
Look at this goal he further assisted in a recent win over the Vegas Golden Knights. He starts by cleverly analyzing the attacking opportunity and joins the rush towards the net. He attacks the center of the ice with speed and opens himself up for feeding from the half wall. He senses the defender closing in on him and makes a silky smooth spin to avoid the defender, leaving him wide open to find his teammate Anze Kopitar for an easy tap-in goal.
It’s a play that few defenders can make, and even fewer 21-year-old defenders can do what Clarke made look so easy. He makes these spectacular plays routinely every night and he fills the role of Doughty admirably. And while Clarke may not quite be at the James Norris Trophy level yet, he is shining in his first full season in the NHL.