Since Brandt Clarke has come up to the NHL, it has been an odd relationship between him and the coaching staff. The former first-round pick has a skill set that isn't really found on the Kings' blue line, especially with Drew Doughty getting older.
However, head coach Jim Hiller last season seemed hesitant to really commit to Clarke, and he even would be a healthy scratch at times. He is the best puck-moving defenseman the Kings have and even led the team's defensemen in points last season.
Recently, on an episode of the Daily Faceoff Rundown, Mike Russo made a comment that it seemed like, at times this offseason, the Kings were ready to trade Brandt Clarke. However, he said that new general manager Ken Holland wanted to get a closer look before making a big move.
It isn't surprising that the Kings considered trading Brandt Clarke but they can't now
When considering how the season went last year, it isn't really surprising that the Los Angeles Kings would at least explore the idea of trading Clarke. However, the moves made this summer have now put them in a position where they can't afford to trade him.
At the end of June, the Kings made that first notable move when trading Jordan Spence to the Ottawa Senators. It seemed that the skillset between Spence and Clarke was essentially the same, and they only had room for one.
On top of that, the departure of Vladislav Gavrikov and adding veteran defenseman Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin don't give them much long-term stability for the position. They still have Mikey Anderson, but after him, Clarke is the next key part for the future of their defense.
While Clarke should be in a position to establish his spot in this defense, it will be interesting if Hiller and the coaching staff are ready to commit to the young player.