The Los Angeles Kings re-signed defenseman Brandt Clarke to a five-year deal worth $7.4 million annually, the team announced Friday.
Clarke, the eighth pick of the 2021 draft, emerged as one of the Kings' most important players in 2025-26 while simultaneously putting together the strongest season of his career.
He ranked second on the team with 32 assists and fourth in points with 40. Only Drew Doughty and Mikey Anderson logged more minutes among Kings defensemen, with Clarke averaging 19:48.
In the playoffs, Clarke had one point in four games while averaging 19:45 in ice time. The Kings were eliminated in the first round for a fifth straight year.
With Clarke's re-signing, the Kings have six players with pacts greater than three years in length. Doughty, 36, is the only member of the Kings defense that doesn't have more than a year remaining on his contract. He is set to reach free agency after the 2026-27 season.
PuckPedia projects the Kings have $10.9 million in cap space ahead of a free agency window that will be the first without longtime captain and franchise cornerstone Anze Kopitar, who retired after the 2025-26 season.