A massive priority this upcoming offseason in the summer of 2026 for the Los Angeles Kings and general manager Ken Holland in the front office over the next upcoming few months is getting defenseman Brandt Clarke re-signed on the cap sheet in the active roster lineup in the West.
Clarke discussed the end-of-season interviews and his contract with the media this past week on Wednesday a couple of days ago for the Kings' team.
"I want to be here, I love Los Angeles, I love my teammates, I love being in that locker room. That's what I want. I've expressed that since I got to Los Angeles, I love being here, and my mentality hasn't changed over the years."Brandt Clarke
On an episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast with Elliotte Friedman in this past few days, it was reported that Clarke had some friction in his role defensively in the zone with the Kings in this past regular season in this past few months in the West.
"He wants so much more responsibility. There's been times he's been frustrated; he has not allowed it to become an issue; the contract thing, that's where it can sometimes go sideways; we'll see where this one goes."Elliotte Friedman on Brandt Clarke
In this past regular season in this past few months, Clarke on the blue line on defense for the Kings and interim head coach DJ Smith registered over three dozen total points and eight goals. He played every single one of the 82 games for the Kings on the blue line on defense this past regular season in the West in the Pacific Division.
For most of this past few months on the blue line on defense for the Kings in the West, Clarke has played on the second defensive pairing mostly with Joel Edmundson. He scored eight goals and a career-high 40 total points this past regular season for the Kings.
Clarke has made it clear this upcoming offseason in the summer in the next upcoming few months that he wants to stay with the Kings on the blue line on defense and for the upcoming 2026-27 season in the Pacific Division.
Since the 2024-25 season, Clarke has outscored opponents by a mark of over 30 goals on the blue line on defense for the Kings in this past couple of years in the West (per Natural Stat Trick). He also led all Kings' defensemen in expected goals for percentage at even strength at 5-on-5 and on special teams on the top unit power play group on the blue line on defense for the Kings.
If Clarke can even get a couple to a few minutes more of average playing time on the ice on the blue line on defense for the Kings next season in the West, that could make a big difference in the overall impact he has on this team in the 2026-27 campaign.
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