LA Kings: Embrace Skill

Mired in a six-game losing streak, Todd McLellan and the LA Kings are trying to figure out how to turn the ship around and get back into the win column. While there likely isn’t one silver-bullet solution to the recent woes, there is a pretty sensible option now available to McLellan that, given the losing streak, he might as well turn to.

Brandt Clarke

Top prospect Brandt Clarke has been up with the Kings for about a week now, appearing in one game while sitting for two. Against the Washington Capitals on Sunday, Clarke played 15:43 of ice time in total, 13:30 at 5-on-5. While at 5-on-5, he had a modest if unspectacular 48.4% CF% and 32.3% xGF%. Most of his 5-on-5 time was spent with Vladislav Gavrikov on the team’s second pairing.

The call-up of Clarke was certainly warranted, he was lighting up the AHL scoring seven goals and adding 25 assists in 30 games with the Ontario Reign. The strange part, however, was where he would fit in on the LA Kings blueline, one of the best in the NHL.

Through January 3rd – the date Clarke was called up – LA at 5-on-5 was second in the NHL in shot attempts against per 60 minutes (CA/60), first in shots on goal against per 60 minutes (SA/60), second in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) and fifth in goals against per 60 minutes (GA/60) per Natural Stat Trick. Other than his performance in the AHL, there wasn’t really a “need” to bring him up. The team was performing well, there were not any injuries to the back end, and while the team can always use more puck movers on defense, the timing seemed odd.

In the one game Clarke played, it came at the expense of Jordan Spence. A bizarre decision given Spence has been, quietly, one of the LA Kings’ best defensemen. According to Natural Stat Trick, Spence is first on the team in CF% and third in xGF% among LA Kings defensemen at 5-on-5. He’s second only to Drew Doughty in points among defensemen while leading the blueline in assists with 13.

In 34 games that I have tracked, Spence leads all defensemen in shot assists per 60 minutes and slot passes. In zone entry tracking, Spence is second only to Mikey Anderson in controlled entry percentage among LA defensemen.

Per HockeyViz, his offensive impact is significant:

Meanwhile he’s not giving much back at all defensively:

Simply put, other than “he’s young” there is no legitimate reason to take Jordan Spence out of the lineup.

The move makes even less sense when you’re, more or less, replacing like-for-like. Spence is already one of the most productive defensemen on the team. You’re replacing him with someone who is also expected to produce offense. There’s no problem you’re solving for. There’s little, if anything, that you’re gaining. It’s puzzling.

McLellan doesn’t quite see it that way.

“We’re in a situation where we’re going to play seven defensemen,” McLellan said after the overtime loss in Tampa Bay on Tuesday. You could sense some frustration in McLellan as he acknowledged that line of questioning is going to be a common theme. “I’m gonna get asked this question every night,” he continued. “If we take (Spence) out and put (Clarke) in I’m gonna get asked again and we’re just gonna play ping-pong back and forth.”

To me the decision is easy: if Brandt Clarke is going to be on the roster, he and Spence should be in the lineup together. It isn’t that hard.

Not Andreas’ Fault

That brings me to Andreas Englund. To be clear, while Englund is certainly not my style of defensemen, he has been perfectly adequate for what he’s asked to do. He hasn’t “hurt” the LA Kings at 5-on-5 as his on-ice possession numbers (52% CF%) and expected goals (51.4% xGF%) are perfectly fine. For those who find these important, he leads the team in hits and fights. Suffice to say, he is doing his job.

But his upside is extremely limited. As far as raw production, he has seven points on the season. In 5-on-5 shot contributions, he’s last among LA Kings’ regulars. The only players he has more slot passes than are Arthur Kaliyev and Trevor Lewis and the only regular with a worse controlled zone entry percentage on the team is Lewis. I get it, he’s not here to drive play or provide offense – but I also don’t think the team has to settle for the bare minimum of “well he’s doing what he’s asked to do.” Not when they’ve decided to call Clarke up to LA.

The clip below is from Clarke’s first career NHL game last season. Immediately, you can see what he brings to the team.

In the first ten seconds, we see him skate the puck through the neutral zone and rather than dump it in, he gains the offensive zone with possession and makes a pass toward the slot. Right away, this type of play is something the Kings are missing from their back end.

The second part of the video shows his capabilities in the offensive zone. At the left point, he’s able to take the puck, beat the opposing winger, and get a shot toward goal. For a team that could use more offense from the blue line, having a player that can create like this would be nice.

Finally, again from the left point, he’s able to skate down – with possession – and make a play toward goal. These are the types of plays we are not seeing consistently enough from a player like Englund. He isn’t going to skate the puck out of the zone, he isn’t skating the puck into the offensive zone and he isn’t creating offense when in the zone.

That isn’t Englund’s fault, it isn’t his job. But if you’re going to roster a player who is capable of doing these things, why not play him?

I noted there about Clarke making those plays along the left point. That leads me to where I would prefer to see him play.

As much as it makes logical sense to play him with Vladislav Gavrikov from a defensive-defenseman playing with an offensive-defenseman standpoint, I don’t think it’s necessary. First of all, Gavrikov and Matt Roy have been the team’s best defense pair again. I don’t think there is a need to split them up. While Anderson and Doughty have struggled of late, I can understand not splitting that pair up either.

Embrace Skill

Why not just play Clarke and Spence together?

I need a Brandt Clarke – Jordan Spence pairing like I need air. #LAKings #GoKingsGo

— Joe W. Patarino (@JWPatarino) June 24, 2023

The idea of having two young “offensive” defensemen playing together evidently has a lot of people nervous about the potential risks.

Consider that over the last ten games, per Natural Stat Trick, the LA Kings are outside the top 15 in xGA/60, scoring chances allowed per 60 minutes, and high danger chances allowed per 60 minutes. Meanwhile, they have the second lowest 5-on-5 shooting percentage during that time and are 24th in goals scored per 60.

What’s the risk, exactly?

Personally, I would play Clarke on the left side. I know, a right-shot defenseman playing the left side. While it isn’t always preferred, when you’re talking about a player as talented as Clarke, it should be less of a concern. He’s a natural when it comes to stepping up in the neutral zone – something the Kings like from their left defensemen in their 1-3-1 neutral zone.

In today’s NHL, you don’t need to be big (though at 6’2″, Clarke isn’t small) or physical to defend well. Clarke is capable of defending with his stick and his ability to read the play coming at him. And again, he’s aided by LA’s 1-3-1.

Also, given how Spence has played this season, I’d rather not mess with that and let him continue to thrive on the right side of the third pair.

The LA Kings know what they have in Englund and should a lineup that includes Clarke and Spence not work, they have Englund to fall back on.

At the very least, I think it’d benefit the Kings to see what they have in a lineup that sees both Clarke and Spence in it – whether they’re paired together or not.

I’ve long been of the opinion that this LA Kings defense group needs more skill. The organization opted to start Clarke in the AHL and that appears to have been the right call.

He’s here now. Don’t be afraid of skill, embrace it.

(Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron, USA Today)