Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke has found himself in The Hockey News’ latest rumor roundup as he finds himself in the trade rumor mill. In Lyle Richardson’s latest roundup [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-rumor-roundup-latest-on-predators-stamkos-bruins-zacha-and-kings-clarke], he writes about a report from James Murphy of [https://rg.org/news/hockey/teams-eyeing-brandt-clarke-but-kings-not-interested]OG.Org [http://og.org]. According to Murphy, sources tell him that multiple teams around the NHL have been calling on Clarke. Should the Kings consider trading Clarke? - Feb. 13 It was reported that Kings GM Ken Holland [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/a-big-part-of-my-life-ken-holland-looks-back-at-tenure-as-red-wings-gm] has no interest in moving on from the promising 22-year-old D-man, as he and coach Jim Hiller see Clarke as a piece of Los Angeles [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings]’ future. Nonetheless, despite Holland’s perspective on Clarke’s ability, the young defenseman remains a pending RFA, and that’s what is attracting customers from across the league. “There were people surprised he wasn’t locked up. Blue chip prospect, but it didn’t happen,” an unnamed source told Murphy. “The longer he’s not locked up and plays well, that value goes up and that trade interest does too.” Clarke is now in the final year of his entry-level contract, earning $863,334 [https://puckpedia.com/player/brandt-clarke] against the Kings’ salary cap. Brandt Clarke (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/da535da8-c1fd-46f9-9980-942df21e84c2.jpeg] Brandt Clarke (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images) If the team still hasn’t signed him to an extension when this contract expires, his rights will still belong to the Kings. However, all parties would prefer to handle business far before it’s too late. Just ahead of this season, New Jersey Devils [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils] defenseman Luke Hughes signed his contract extension on Oct. 1 [https://puckpedia.com/player/luke-hughes], nearly leaving negotiations active into the start of the regular season. In fact, Luke Evangelista and the Nashville Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] fought until Oct. 3 [https://puckpedia.com/player/luke-evangelista], four days before the first day of this season. The Kings and Clarke [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/players/kings-2025-26-player-previews-brandt-clarke] would likely rather get a deal done well before training camp, as that’ll benefit both parties. Clarke won’t miss any time in training camp and pre-season, and Los Angeles will have their young blueliner ready to roll for the upcoming campaign. Ultimately, a clear factor as to why Clarke and the Kings haven’t done much extension talks is because of another player on the team that is looking for a new contract, which is star right winger Adrian Kempe. Kempe’s situation is a little more critical as he is a pending UFA. That means, when July 1 hits, and the Swede is still without a contract, he hits the open market, allowing any team to have a fair shot at landing Kempe’s services. Why Adrian Kempe Will Not Earn Less Than Martin Necas On His Next Contract [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/be62e0d5-c4b6-4572-9fbf-74df8269de6b.jpeg] Why Adrian Kempe Will Not Earn Less Than Martin Necas On His Next Contract What is Adrian Kempe worth following the contract extension of Martin Necas? Looking at the facts, Kempe shouldn't be signing anything less than what Necas received. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/why-adrian-kempe-will-not-earn-less-than-martin-necas-on-his-next-contract] As far as Clarke’s performances, he’s been solid for Hiller’s side. In 15 appearances this season, he’s recorded two goals and seven points from the back end. With that, he is tied with the fifth-most points on the roster, alongside left winger Andrei Kuzmenko, right winger Joel Armia and center Anze Kopitar. What makes his production even more impressive is the limited ice time he receives. Among the regular defensemen on the Kings, Clarke averages the least ice time [https://www.nhl.com/kings/stats] with 17:02 per game. Should The Kings Give Brandt Clarke More Ice Time? [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/50df693f-2c62-4acf-b278-56e40257ca83.jpeg] Should The Kings Give Brandt Clarke More Ice Time? Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke is one of the most intriguing young players on the team’s blue line. Drafted 8th overall in the 2021 draft, Clarke came in with high expectations to produce for the Kings' defensive line. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/should-the-kings-give-brandt-clarke-more-ice-time] The least amount of ice time he received this season was on Oct. 28 against the San Jose Sharks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks]. Even with minimal ice time, the fifth-lowest among all skaters on the Kings in that contest, the blueliner recorded two points [https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/lak-vs-sjs/2025/10/28/2025020165/summary], a plus-three rating, and the game-winning goal. Nonetheless, management said they’ll make an effort [https://x.com/DennisTFP/status/1983964955235013091?s=20] to increase his ice time. From the start of the season to that Sharks game, Clarke averaged 16:28 of ice time. But, in the four outings since then, he’s averaged 18:36 [https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?reportType=game&dateFrom=2025-10-30&dateTo=2025-11-07&gameType=2&playerPlayedFor=franchise.14&sort=timeOnIcePerGame&page=0&pageSize=50]. Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/69dc8a2a-ec24-47c4-b73b-c3b9972529ed.jpeg] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
