Kale Clague

July 2024- Due to the defensive depth of the Sabres’ blueline, Clague spent most of his 2023-2024 campaign in Rochester. Whereas he had found opportunities to play in Buffalo the previous year, he logged just three games in the NHL this past season. He represented Rochester in 42 games, scoring three goals and 23 points. He signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Sabres on June 28, 2024, and is slated to be a UFA in 2025. Kevin Wong

July 2022 – After being let go by the Canadiens, Clague has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Buffalo Sabres. Expect him to challenge for an NHL roster spot, with the worst-case scenario seeing him as a high-minute and first call-up option AHL’er. Dave Hall

April 2022 – Clague was claimed by the Canadiens off waivers from the LA Kings on December 4, 2021, and given an opportunity to cement himself as an NHL defenceman. Unfortunately, this did not occur, with him on the outside looking in even before being placed on the IR. This was as good an opportunity as he was bound to get, as the Habs defensive corps has been riddled with injuries for much of the season, but despite his clear mobility and passing ability, Clague’s tendency to make poor decisions at the most inopportune moments allowed other defenders to pass him on the depth chart; most notably, Cory Schueneman, who has shone since. It is unclear if Clague still figures into the Habs’ short-term plans, but he has a lot of ground to make up to become an NHL regular at this point in time. Sebastian High

January 2020 – Clague has seen a significant jump in the trust from the organization leading to an increase of ice time in the AHL as well as a recall to the NHL. The former second-round pick appeared in four games for the Kings this season before being sent back to Ontario. The young blueliner is one of the organization’s top defensive prospects and will surely see some more games at the NHL level as the season winds down. Clague has been one of the lone bright spots for the Reign this season and has earned himself a spot in the 2020 AHL All-Star game being hosted in Ontario. Julian Mongillo

March 2019 – Clague has spent all of the 2018-19 season with the Kings’ AHL affiliate Ontario Reign getting acclimated to the speed of professional hockey. The 20-year-old mobile defenceman has benefited greatly from his time in the minors and has shown great improvements in his development much to the delight of the Kings organization. He has logged an abundance of minutes in all situations including penalty kill and power play due to the recent call up of fellow Reign defenceman Sean Walker, and is up to 29 points on the season in 52 games. The Kings are currently taking a look at their younger defenceman in their system including players such as Paul Ladue, Kurtis MacDermid, Matt Roy, and Sean Walker as they continue to plummet in the NHL standings. Unfortunately for Clague he may have to wait longer than expected to make his NHL debut as he suffered a lower body injury on March 9^th after blocking a shot. The organization will likely air on the side of caution with their young blueliner however, expect Clague to push for a roster spot with the Kings out of training camp next season on an aging Kings back-end in desperate need of an injection of youth, which will also allow Clague to progress further from the mentor-ship the current veteran blueliners such as Martinez, Forbort, Phaneuf and Doughty have to offer. Julian Mongillo

June 2018 – Clague really took it to another level in 2017-18. The highly mobile defenseman scored an impressive 71 points in 54 games between Brandon and Moose Jaw in 2017-18, which ranks him first among notable WHL defensemen with 1.31 points-per-game average and third with 0.46 power play assists per game. As he’ll need to work on his shot to make it to the NHL level, the 20-year-old should have no problem bringing his skating, vision and playmaking abilities to the Kings’ camp this upcoming fall. Wearing the “A” on the golden Canadian jersey at the last World Juniors, his leadership also has something to be looking for at the highest level. The sky looks pretty clear ahead for Clague when looking at the Kings’ blue line depth chart and there should be plenty of opportunities for him to make the opening night roster. Now, some playing time in the AHL wouldn’t be disappointing either as being a regular on the power play over guys like Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin or Alec Martinez would be a bit of a stretch for 2018-19. Clague is definitely a strong option from mid to very deep fantasy leagues and interesting fantasy production could realistically start somewhere in 2019-20. Carl Sinclair

June 2017  ̶  The Los Angeles Kings’ prospect took another big step forward this season. After playing an integral part on Canada’s world junior team that won silver, Clague continued to dominate the Brandon Wheat Kings’ blueline in the second half of the season. While it didn’t end the way the Wheat Kings wanted after getting swept on the first round of the WHL playoffs, Clague put up four points in those four games, showing he has the ability to be a big game-player. The smooth-skating defenseman is strong on both sides of the puck, despite not being overly physical. He has the skills to quarterback a power play and his first pass to start the breakout is almost always perfect. It’s starting to look like he could be a steal for the Kings after being taken in the second round of the 2016 NHL entry draft. Mitch Brandner

January 2016 – The offensive defenseman has shown continued improvement to his game with 23 points in 27 games (0.85 points per game) for the Brandon Wheat Kings, following last season’s 0.60 points per game. Despite missing games, Clague leads the Wheat Kings’ defense in scoring. Clague also played a prominent role for Team Canada at the world junior championship, scoring six points in seven games. Clague scored the most assists by a defenseman in the tournament and tied for third-most points by defensemen and for the fourth-best plus-minus overall in the tournament. Philip Kamhi

September 2016 – Following a season that saw Kale Clague boast 43 points in 71 games with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Clague was selected in the second round of the 2016 NHL draft. The Kings, although lacking a first-round selection, get a top-end offensive defenseman who many (including Bob McKenzie) believed would be selected higher. Clague played on an excellent team (on a second pairing behind Ivan Provorov). After missing most of his rookie season, he started slowly, which likely contributed to him falling to a lower draft position. Already a dynamic skater with an excellent pass, Clague will need to bulk up before playing stronger competition. Provorov, in whose shadow Clague has been playing, will likely turn pro this season, leaving a spot for Clague on the top pairing. Much of his success this season could be determined by how much strength the 177-pound defenseman can add. Philip Kamhi