There has been a lot of speculation connecting the Edmonton Oilers to free-agent defenseman John Klingberg over the past few days.
The last time we saw Klingberg in the NHL was in 2023-24 when he was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs and it was not pretty. He appeared in 14 games and played 228 minutes at even strength. In that time, the Leafs were outscored 14-9 and his on-ice xGF% was 42.69%. Like I said, not pretty.
Klingberg eventually underwent a hip resurfacing surgery and now that he’s fully recovered, he wants to try to get back into the NHL.
Klingberg is far from the defenceman he used to be — Remember at one point he turned down a contract from the Dallas Stars that would have been worth north of $50 million? — but he does check a few boxes for the Oilers.
First off, he’s a right-shot defenceman and we all know that Edmonton’s number one priority ahead of the March 7 trade deadline is to upgrade the right side of their blueline. He’s also a defenceman that traditionally has been able to move the puck well and what he’s lacked in defensive instincts he’s made up for with his offensive skill.
I’ve been saying for a while now that the best type of partner for Darnell Nurse is a defenceman who moves the puck well. Nurse played his best hockey in the playoffs when he was partnered with Philip Broberg, an effective and mobile puck-mover.
So, on the surface, Klingberg feels like he could be a decent fit. There is one big question that no one really has the answer to right now — How much did the hip surgery actually help?
If his skating is somewhat close to what it was back when he was a member of the Dallas Stars, then this conversation gets interesting. If he still moves like he did when he was with the Leafs, then the Oilers should run away very fast.
Assuming the contract is cheap enough, this could end up being a free experiment for the Oilers though. I asked NHL Insider Frank Seravalli about the idea of the Oilers adding Klingberg earlier this week:
“What you’re looking at is a deal probably under $1 million that allows him to play out this season and if he signs and ends up being nothing, he’s a guy you just waive and out in the AHL and forget about it. When he was healthy a few years ago, he was a guy eminently capable of moving the puck.“I’m real skeptical to be totally fair as to what Klingberg has left in the tank, but it doesn’t hurt to find out.”
I totally understand the idea of this being viewed as a free bet. At the same time, if you don’t believe he has top-four potential, isn’t any sort of experiment just a waste of time, especially when you have Troy Stecher on the roster?
I know Stecher hasn’t been a world-beater, but I’ve viewed him as serviceable.
There is also another argument that even if Klingberg can get back close to his former level of play, is he even the right style of defenseman given his defensive deficiencies? Former NHL defenseman Jason Demers gave me this take earlier this week on Oilersnation Everyday.
“I saw that and my first reaction when I saw the Oilers was that this is one of those head-scratchers,” said Demers “There are times in a game, when he was fully healthy, where you go ‘we didn’t need that play at the blueline’. He’s one of the best at walking the blueline and making people miss but you have Bouchard. I don’t think you need anyone in that offensive role.”
I do agree with Demers. The Oilers need a puck mover, but they need someone who can also be defensively reliable.
Another fear of mine would be that Klingberg comes in and actually plays decent hockey for a month and convinces the Oilers that they don’t need to make another addition to their blueline ahead of the playoffs.
They need to add a truly impactful piece to their roster and even if Klingberg comes in and looks good, that won’t be enough in my mind.
I’m fine if they take a shot on Klingberg, but no matter how he performs, he should not be the only defenseman they add ahead of the trade deadline.
Yes, it could be a free bet, but that doesn’t mean the Oilers shouldn’t do their research here.
