Hiller, Kings cautious with Clarke despite impressive start

11 points in 12 games is a great start for any player in the NHL. But being nearly point-a-game as a 21-year old, essentially first year NHL defenseman? Some would say that’s extraordinary.

But Los Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller isn’t exactly ready to shower his young defenseman, Brandt Clarke, with superlatives. This is about as far as Hiller is currently willing to go:

"He's had a good start point-wise for sure. 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.”

Other times, it’s as if Hiller has gone out of his way to NOT praise Clarke:

“Clarke’s made some pretty good plays to get some points and we saw the one tonight (against Vegas). The thing about assists is sometimes you can get some ones that really don’t have much of an effect on the play. Goals, you’ve got to score the goal, somebody’s got to put in the back of the net. So, sometimes assists can be a little bit misleading.”

That last quote from Hiller is curious. Of Clarke’s 10 assists, 6 have been primary helpers. That’s tied for the team lead with Anze Kopitar. Not to mention, a number of those first assists have come on plays that Clarke created himself.

So where could Hiller’s concerns actually lie?

Digging deeper, Clarke has the second most defensive zone giveaways on the team with 8 (Spence, 9). At 5-on-5, Clarke has the highest xGA (expected goals against) on the team with 8.42 and the highest HDCA (high danger chances against) with 34. He and his defensive partner, Joel Edmundson, have surrendered 6 HDGA (high danger goals against), both second to Quinton Byfield (8).

All those stats certainly have room for improvement, but it would be unfair to not consider that Edmundson, his usual partner at 5-on-5, has struggled in the LA zone. In the 55:52 TOI where Clarke has been away from Edmundson he has put up the following metrics at even strength:

70.29 CF% (shot attempts)
69.74 SF% (shots on goal)
80.00 GF% (goals)
65.08 SCF% (scoring chances)
60.00% HDCF% (high danger chances)

Simply put, Clarke has been extremely good at both ends of the ice when he’s not paired with Edmundson.

However, we can go back even further than the current season to find hints of both Hiller and the Kings taking a more guarded approach to Clarke. In training camp, Hiller could not verbally commit to playing him 15 or more minutes a night. Last season, the Kings only played Clarke in 12 games, despite his near point-per-game output in the AHL.

For whatever reason, the LA Kings are not quite ready to crown their defenseman of the future. The question is, what will they do if he forcefully takes the throne himself? The way Clarke’s season is going, we may not have to wait long to find out.