Edmonton is in the market to bolster its blue line and its reportedly leading the race to land a marquee free-agent defenseman.
John Klinberg is nearing return from resurfacing surgery that he had in 2023 and a decision is expected to be made within the next two weeks per NHL insider Darren Dreger.
The Oilers are interested in adding Klinberg into their top-two defensive pairings and on the power play.
The #LetsGoOilers are the front runners to sign UFA D-Men John Klingberg from what we are hearing & it could happen very soon. Klingberg would be paired up with Nurse & he would get the opportunity to play on the PowerPlay as well, the fact that they could bring in Klingberg by…
— 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast (@2MuttsHockeyPod) January 15, 2025
What makes the prospect of Klinberg joining the Oilers dangerous are his puck-moving abilities that would only benefit the potent top-six forward group with point magnets like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Although it remains to be seen whether Klinberg’s game will be the same where he left it two seasons ago, reports are that he’s made considerable strides with his hip recovery.
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“There is a lot of interest and they have narrowed the field a little bit,” Dreger said. “I’d say five to seven teams are now in the mix for the return of a veteran right-shot defenseman. Let’s remind hockey fans that John Klingberg had hip resurfacing surgery in the fall of 2023. The same surgery that Patrick Kane had, the same surgery Jesse Puljujarvi had. It’s been a long road of recovery, but in the last couple of weeks, he’s amped it up, he’s skating on a daily basis.”
Wherever Klinberg does sign, it will be to play out the season — likely on a playoff contender such as the Oilers or the other front-running bidders where a fit makes sense such as Toronto Maple Leafs.
“He feels good so the next step in his process is to identify the team he wants to play with, sign a contract at least for the remainder of the year, and push it forward,” Dreger said. “Again, five to seven teams are basically on the cut line that Klingberg has to make a decision on.”
Klingberg most recently completed a one-year, $4.15 million contract with the Maple Leafs. He only suited up for 14 games because of his injury.
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His career-best performance came in 2017-18 when he totaled 67 points. That same year, he was named an All-Star.
The 32-year-old Swedish defenseman has appeared in 633 NHL games across stints with the Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s recognized as a strong puck-moving blueliner, but has been known to have some issues in his own defensive zone from time to time.
Klingberg played just 14 games with the Leafs last season before stepping away to address a hip injury and undergo surgery. Given his age and the recovery from such an injury, there are concerns about whether he’ll be able to regain his previous form.
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