An offensive-minded defenseman in every aspect of the game, Clarke is incredibly confident and competitive, constantly trying to make himself a pass option or drive the play himself. He has a highly-creative offensive mind and isn’t afraid to try flashy plays, and he should be able to keep catching opponents off guard from time to time. Clarke regularly tries to direct play by calling for pucks or sending stick signals. He wins his fair share of board battles, thanks to his determination, hand-eye coordination and understanding of gaining body positioning. He has quick and soft hands and displays great ability to maneuver the puck in tight spaces. He can handle the puck very well, making quick moves when in puck possession, enabling him to escape from situations where the opponents set pressure on him.  Clarke is always aware of his linemates when in puck possession and distributes pucks accurately, sometimes being able to thread the needle, showing great vision. He sometimes tends to make risky plays that can go the wrong way if failed. Decision-making in his own end is good but not great, as his vision can be narrow. He will occasionally miss one or more options that are better than whatever he picked. He could be quicker reading and reacting. He is very confident with the puck on his stick, skating it through the neutral zone in transition with purpose and showing good management of his speed and balance to find open patches of ice to make zone entries. He skates very well laterally, either moving forward or backward, and his pivots are clean. His skating mechanics aren’t perfect, he can look a little wobbly at times with his knock-kneed stride, but his explosiveness opens up tons of space. He has solid awareness when defending in his own zone, but is still learning to pick and choose when to pressure his man with body contact or simply use his long reach. Clarke’s acceleration and overall strength in puck battles is still a long way from the top levels, but he has the brain and puck skills to eventually contribute as an all-situations defender in the NHL. With the OHL season cancelled, Clarke spent his season overseas in Slovakia. While it took him some time to adjust to the league, his overall play was strong against men.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide