The first month of the 2024-25 season is in the books, and for the Los Angeles Kings, there are two players in contention for the team's MVP. However, entering the season, neither player was considered the Kings' best with Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, or Kevin Fiala on the roster.
Among the forwards, the clear choice would be Alex Laferriere who currently leads the Kings in goals with eight (including seven at even strength) along with six assists. He currently is second on the team in points and second in +/- of 9.
It has been remarkable improvement for a player in his second season who had only 12 goals all of last season in 81 games. He also has brought some physicality to the forwards as he ranks third in hits at 25.
Early Season MVP for Los Angeles Kings: Brandt Clarke
While Alex Laferriere has gotten off to a great start, in my opinion, Brandt Clarke has been the Kings' early-season MVP. He currently is leading the Kings in assists with 11, including four assists on power plays.
The reason that Clarke gets the nod here is not only because of his performance but also because the Kings had to hope someone stepped up with the absence of Drew Doughty. He is one of the best defenseman in the NHL and after his ankle injury in the preseason, it created a big hole in their defense.
Clarke absolutely had the talent to be one of the best defensemen on the Kings roster and was why the Kings drafted him eighth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. However, it remained to be seen when that would happen as he had only 25 career NHL games entering this season.
He has certainly risen to the challenge and emerged as a key part of this team early in this season. Brandt Clarke has been a big part of the team's success and should only get better as he gets more experience.