Laine isn’t ”knock-kneed” tho, Clarke is probably the faster skater but he is naturally held back by him being ”knock-kneed” for multiple reasons.
1. Being knock kneed changes the distribution of the weight, making balance and stability extra difficult.
2. It affects the range of leg motion which has direct effect on speed, lateral movement, and agility
3. Risk of ALC injuries is much higher on knock-kneed people.
Disclaimer: I’m a big believer of Clarke, but all of these still are all valid reasons for concern