The Los Angeles Kings got back a key part of their defense on Wednesday night with Drew Doughty making his season debut. He had yet to play in the regular season after suffering a fractured ankle during the preseason.
However, in what was a surprising move the Kings elected to make Brandt Clarke a healthy scratch. The reason it was surprising is that for most of the season, the Kings have gone with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. With the return of Drew Doughty, it would have made sense to return to that alignment to ease him back in.
Instead, the Kings had no restrictions on Doughty as he led the team in ice time and is set to play his second game in as many nights against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Meanwhile, Jim Hiller and the coaching staff feel like they are better without Clarke on the ice which is a rather bold assertion, and have made him a healthy scratch for the second straight game.
Brandt Clarke could be a big help in getting this Los Angeles Kings offense back on track
While Clarke has played defense, he has been a pretty good weapon in the offensive zone this season. He is second on the team in assists, behind only Anze Kopitar, and fifth in points. Meanwhile, the Kings are currently in the midst of five straight periods without a goal, including that shutout loss to the Panthers.
After the game against the Panthers, Hiller was very vague when asked about why Clarke was a healthy scratch.
Kings coach Jim Hiller on scratching Brandt Clarke tonight: “Tough league for a young guy. He’s done great to this point. This league will wear you down as a young player - gives (him) a reset. We’ll see where it goes from here.” pic.twitter.com/y4uS6a7NYa
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) January 30, 2025
If this was the reason then one game seems to be sufficient to give him that reset and they have done this in the past. Earlier this season, Jordan Spence was a healthy scratch for one game and responded well as he has played much better since then.
However, now that it is a second straight game for Clarke this feels like a bigger issue and this not only impacts the defense but hurts an offense that is struggling right now.