This blog format is going to be the opposite of the usual prospect review in which I typically give my take on a prospect and then post excerpts from draft experts to showcase their take on a draft-eligible player. After doing my due diligence on the available tape of Brandt Clarke report and having written the majority of the article, I was shocked to read the wide disparity of thoughts the experts had about a particular attribute of Brandt Clarke that I found to be – frankly – somewhat alarming. Imagine my surprise to read some favorable reviews of Clarke’s skating after watching what I believed to be some of the ugliest skating you could possibly see in highlight film. We’ll start with the experts and then I’ll elaborate further on my own thoughts regarding Clarke’s skating ability:
Benn Kerr (lastwordonsports.com):
Clarke’s game is based on his outstanding skating ability. This allows him to get forward in the offensive zone as well as join the rush, and still get back defensively. He has an outstanding first step and great acceleration. His ability to change speeds allows him to avoid forecheckers and get past defenders. His top-end speed is also very good. Clarke’s edgework and agility are elite. He can turn on a dime, and can also walk the line, opening up passing and shooting lanes in the offensive zone. Clarke could stand to get a bit stronger in his core though. This will help improve his balance and strength on his skates. It will help him to win battles in the defensive zone and clear the front of the net.
Josh Tessler (smahtscouting.com):
Clarke will have to deploy outside edges to keep pace, but don’t be surprised if he puts his hand directly on the ice surface to try to keep his balance. When it comes to skating in transition, Clarke’s extension and placement is exactly where you want it to be. He does not take long extensions and his skates are not too wide apart. However, you will see that Clarke can struggle with his ankle flexion. His ankle won’t line up with the toes of his skates. But, he also will struggle with a knocked knee extension as Josh Mallory of McKeen’s Hockey mentioned in a post on his substack. If you aren’t familiar with a knocked knee, the Hospital for Special Surgery describes it as “a condition in which the knees bend inward and touch or “knock” against one another, even when a person is standing with their ankles apart. This places excessive force on the outer side of the knee, which can cause pain and damage over time.”
Andrew Forbes (thehockeywriters.com):
His skating is exceptional. He has a good first-step and can reach top speed quicker than many of the other top defensive prospects in this draft. He’s quick on his edges and can make defensive plays before turning the puck back up ice on a dime.
One of the three writers (Josh Tessler) is saying that his skating is so odd and awkward that it may be indicative of a medical condition because he needs to put his hand on the ice to maintain balance, while the other two writers are calling his skating “exceptional” and “outstanding.” If it needs to be said, I’m firmly in the Josh Tessler camp.
I can’t imagine it’s all that common to read wildly divergent opinions of a player’s stance and skating ability.
I don’t want this prospect report to read as some kind of roast-mode review of an 18-year-old kid who is clearly skilled, but his skating is incredibly odd and dodgy. His legs are very far apart in his cruising stance and his feet seem haphazardly aligned on the ice in a fashion similar to the “legs akimbo” style of Zemgus Girgensons. At times, when Clarke has one foot up in the air, it looks like his dangling foot is pointing 30 degrees in a different direction from his torso. The wide stance and pinned knees certainly look uncomfortable and I can definitely imagine how much pressure that would put on the sides of his knees as he distributes his body weight in such an unorthodox fashion. He also looked as though he might fall over during several goal celebrations that are included in his highlight packages.
Elsewhere it looks like he has a pretty good point shot. He gets a wrist shot through traffic and he can man the point from the right side. Again, at the risk of being overly critical, I wonder if he’s envisioned to go in the 7-15 range simply because he plays the highly coveted right-hand defenseman position. If he were a left-hand defenseman, I’m not sure he’d get the same love he’s currently getting.
On the plus side, his eye-hand coordination seems solid as he can knock pucks out of the air and control them with ease. He certainly has natural athletic ability as it pertains to his hands which he showcases on the powerplay with his ability to gently cradle the puck and distribute it to his teammates in order to create a scoring chance. I also saw him hit a few times so it looks like he’s willing to play with a bit of a mean streak that can sometimes be lacking in a top-10 pick.
Brandt Clarke does not do it for me at all, candidly. I highly recommend readers take a look for themselves at the tape of Clarke just to see what they think of his odd skating form. Perhaps like disparity of opinion from the experts referenced, readers will have a different view of his skating than I.
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Jack Eichel is on the ice and skating again according to Elliotte Friedman, who dropped that tidbit of information during his weekly appearance on The Instigators with Andrew Peters and Craig Rivet. That is potentially huge news as it pertains to the Sabres. A Jack Eichel who is healthy enough to skate may indicate that Jack Eichel is healthy enough to play, and perhaps play for the Buffalo Sabres despite the trade rumors floating around.
It certainly still seems as though Jack Eichel’s camp and the Buffalo Sabres are intent on finalizing a divorce this summer but the news that Eichel can participate in on-ice training would allow the Sabres to showcase Eichel for a portion of the summer or even the season in order to attract additional interest. It again bears repeating that Friedman previously looked into rumors that Eichel’s camp had softened their stance on disk replacement although the Sportsnet reporter said that the Sabres captain’s camp refuted those claims. Still, it makes one wonder to what extent the injury could possibly have been used as a wedge to get Eichel out of the losing environment of Buffalo.
It certainly seems like Kevyn Adams is adamant on not selling Eichel for below market value based on the chatter in the Twittersphere and elsewhere. Eichel’s ability to skate could signal to teams across the league that they’re getting a player who can jump into their lineup and produce rather than a player who will need a radical, unproven surgery before playing a game. If there are still no takers willing to pay the price for the Sabres captain though, the Sabres could be wise to hold onto him and showcase the former #2 overall pick during the 2021-22 season (assuming he’s indeed healthy enough to suit up). Eichel could very well put up a point-per-game season even in a disgruntled fashion before being dealt at the draft next off season.
It’s also possible that Don Granato plus a healthy Jack Eichel manage to surprise the hockey world and put up a surprisingly good season that mends the hurt feelings. In any case, it’s certainly a situation worth monitoring.
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