Brandt Clarke could be on his way to a massive payday if the Luke Hughes extension is anything to go by. If you haven't yet heard, the New Jersey Devils inked Hughes to a seven-year extension with a $9 million cap hit. Then, the LA Kings' crosstown rival, the Anaheim Ducks, signed star blueliner Jackson LaCombe to an eight-year deal, carrying that same $9 million hit.
These recent signings led NHL analyst Kevin Weekes to ponder what that could mean for Clarke and Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens.
Given the recent signings of @NJDevils https://t.co/LcAT70hLy5 and @AnaheimDucks LaCombe at 9M AAV, curious to see how those impact potential signings of Calder Trophy winner Hutson with @CanadiensMTL and Clarke of @LAKings .#HockeyX pic.twitter.com/kFZAOPYAh0
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) October 2, 2025
Clarke completed his first full season with the Kings in 2024-25. And while he didn't put up legendary numbers like Hutson, he finished a 78-game slate with a respectable 33 points and five goals across 16:17 of average total ice time. Clarke also stepped up well defensively, blocking 121 shots.
He was on the ice at even strength for 61 goals, and he put up a stellar Corsi For of 54.0 percent in the same situation. Clarke also took the ice to quarterback power plays, helping the Kings score 15 times when he was out there on the man advantage.
The Los Angeles Kings are going to pay Brandt Clarke
Chances are slim that Clarke will get his long-term extension before the regular season, but that can play into his hands. He's poised to see his role increase in 2025-26, and if he enjoys a breakout campaign, then there's always a chance his value could creep into the eight-figure mark, surpassing what we saw Hughes and LaCombe get.
To compare numbers, Hughes finished 2024-25 with 44 points and seven goals in 71 games, while LaCombe managed 43 points and 14 goals in 75 contests. That breakout came one season after LaCombe finished with just 17 points and two goals in 71 games during the 2023-24 season, so you can see how much his value increased after that breakout 2024-25 campaign.
If the Kings want to lock in Clarke at the lowest possible compensation while seeking a long-term deal, they would be better off inking him before that breakout is fully realized. But if you're Clarke and you're in the middle of a career year, do you sign, or hold out and see how much you can increase your value?
Brandt Clarke is winning, regardless
Whether Clarke agrees to a deal earlier or in the middle of the 2025-26 season or waits so he can maximize his output, he's still going to make at least 10 times what his $863,334 cap hit currently is. And with teams signing young defensemen to such large, long-term deals, there's no way his negotiating team will take much less, if that, than what Hughes and LaCombe are slated to earn.
This will be a storyline to watch as the season unfolds, and if Clarke's productivity sails north, expect the Kings to try and engage in early negotiations. It will be up to Clarke and his team to decide how long those negotiations will last.