Reason #1: Los Angeles Kings truly wanted to give him a break
Let's start with the reason Jim Hiller initially gave for Clarke being a healthy scratch and that was to give the young player a 'reset'.
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
On the surface, there may be something to this as this is Clarke's first full season in the NHL and for the season he is averaging 17 minutes per game. He started the season off great with 10 assists in the first 11 games but has had only 11 in the last 36 games. However, his time on ice has steadily decreased from 18 to 19 minutes per game in October and November down to just around 15 in December and January.
The reason though this might not be entirely true is that this has now extended two games. It is hard to understand what can be achieved being a healthy scratch in two games that one wouldn't accomplish.