Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke requires a new contract at the end of this season. He is in the final year of his entry-level contract, also known as a pending RFA.
With the salary cap on the rise, it’s tough to predict what type of contract Clarke could earn. He’s a talented blueliner with offensive upside and a valuable right-handed shot. However, his minutes have been limited under Kings’ coach Jim Hiller, and his full potential is being hidden.
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To try and nail down a range of what Clarke might get on his next contract, here are a few other defensemen in the league that could be considered comparables.
Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild
Brock Faber had an incredible rookie campaign, and Clarke can’t touch the Minnesota Wild defenseman in that sense. However, since Faber’s first season, Clarke hasn’t been far off in terms of production.
In Clarke’s first full NHL season last year, he recorded 33 points in 78 games. He outscored Faber by four points in the same number of games, and with less NHL experience up to that point.
Fast-forward to this year, and their offensive numbers are nearly identical. Ahead of Minnesota’s game on Sunday, in 32 appearances, Faber has six goals and 15 points. In comparison, Clarke has five goals and 14 points in 31 contests.
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Not to mention, Clarke has a career average of 16:18 in ice time, while Faber averages 25:03.
Faber may be a better overall defenseman, and an extra 60 games ahead of Clarke could contribute to that, but there’s no doubt that Clarke hasn’t been much further behind him as of late. At the very least, Clarke’s agent, Randy Robitaille, could make that argument.
The Wild blueliner signed an eight-year contract worth $68 million, averaging $8.5 million per year. Minnesota GM Bill Guerin inked him to that deal following his first full NHL campaign.
Brandt Clarke (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)
Sean Durzi, Utah Mammoth
Because Clarke’s first two seasons were chopped up with very few games, it’s difficult to compare his rookie campaigns to others.
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Utah Mammoth’s defenseman Sean Durzi put up 27 points in 64 games in his first NHL season. Clarke recorded a combined eight points in his first 25 NHL games across his first two years. However, the two D-men line up closer with Clarke’s aforementioned 2024-25 season and Durzi’s 2022-23 campaign.
This was Durzi’s second year in the NHL and his final season with the Kings. He scored nine goals and 38 points in 72 contests and averaged 19:47 of ice time. Not far off from Clarke’s numbers from last year, especially when the difference in ice time is considered.
Durzi is in the second year of a four-year contract. This deal pays Durzi a total of $24 million, averaging to $6 million per season.
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Ultimately, it all depends on the length of Clarke’s contract. With the lack of playing time and responsibility in Los Angeles, GM Ken Holland and Clarke’s representation could have different visions.
Those conflicts typically lead to bridge deals or shorter contracts like Durzi’s, rather than a lengthy ticket such as Faber’s.
Nonetheless, the Kings have the rest of this season, as well as a chunk of the off-season to decide how they want to handle the contractual status of their 22-year-old D-man.
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