Kings Must Extend Defender to Avoid Trade Rumors

According to one source, the league is closely monitoring the Clarke situation. The longer he goes without a new deal, the more his trade market explodes.

“He’s the second pairing right shot guy for them, and really could be on the top pairing when all is said and done,” the source said. “No one knows where this season’s going for the Kings. The longer he’s not locked up and plays well, that value goes up and that trade interest does too.”

Time to Extend Brandt Clarke

The Kings can alleviate any lingering trade rumors by locking Clarke up long-term. The young defenseman is in the final season his entry-level contract, and he will be a restricted free agent upon its expiry. That gives Los Angeles some control and room for patience as they work on a new contract.

But that doesn’t mean they should wait idly by. The Kings need to be proactive and begin negotiations on a contract now.

Follow the Blueprint

Luckily for LA, the blueprint to signing a young star is already available. The Kings can either focus on a short-term, bridge deal or try to eat up some of his unrestricted free agency years with a six to eight-year contract.

If they focus on a bridge deal, the salary expectations are a bit lower. A deal around $4.5 to $6 million would be the expected range.

If they want to make sure Clarke is committed to the Kings, they could sign him for as long as eight additional years. That comes at a premium, however. Recent defensemen to sign long-term deals have cashed in. Thomas Harley, the 24-year-old Dallas Stars defenseman, signed an eight-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) above $10 million. The Montreal Canadiens and Calder Trophy-winner Lane Hutson agreed to a massive extension that pays him an AAV of $8.85 million.

Both of those players outproduced Clarke, putting the upper limit on a deal just below that of Hutson’s extension. That leaves him a solid range to acquire a substantial raise. I’d project any long-term deal for Clarke to come in around $7 to $8 million per season.

it’s very doable for the Kings, they just need to commit. Otherwise, the rest of the NHL will pounce on the talented and young defenseman. If they allow that to happen, it will be a costly and short-sighted mistake for their franchise.