On Saturday afternoon, the LA Kings have announced that one of their young top prospects will not be travelling with the team to Australia for the NHL Global Series.
Brandt Clarke ruled out
Brandt Clarke, the Kings eighth-overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, has been ruled out with an undisclosed injury and will be staying behind in LA for the time being. His injury requires 7-10 days with zero contact.
The Ontario native has appeared in just 9 games in his career. All of which came during the 2022-23 campaign, with Clarke recording just 2 Assists in an average of 13:38 Ice-time during those games.
The young defenseman has plenty of potential to solidify himself as a top-pairing defender on this Kings team. He is likely to make the opening night roster, therefore the decision to leave him behind in Los Angeles could be to ensure he makes a full recovery prior to the start of the regular season.
Current fantasy defensemen rankings have Clarke ranked as the fourth highest defensive prospect in the League. Behind only Luke Hughes, David Jiricek and Simon Nemec.