The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly expressed interest in former Leaf John Klingberg. The Swedish defenceman hasn’t played an NHL game in over a year. His last game was on Nov. 11, 2023, in a 5-2 against the Vancouver Canucks. The 2023-24 campaign was his last in the NHL before undergoing bilateral hip surgery, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. Since then, the 32-year-old has used the same rehabbing team that Patrick Kane used to recover from his hip issues, per Elliotte Friedman. Kane has been able to return to the NHL full-time and has been great for the Detroit Red Wings. He’s currently on a seven-game point streak, scoring 13 points in that span.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, there are five to seven teams that have shown interest in the right-shot defenceman. Those teams include the Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators and Maple Leafs. He also reported that the Canucks are among the teams who have kicked tires. However, they aren’t as invested in the opportunity as the previously mentioned teams.
John Klingberg is closing in on resuming his NHL career. Toronto, Ottawa and Edmonton among the teams with expressed interest. A decision expected in next 2 weeks. Klingberg had hip resurfacing surgery in 2023 and has worked hard to get to this point. 5-7 teams in the mix.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) January 14, 2025
Toronto Gandering at Klingberg
As mentioned, Toronto is one of the teams that has shown interest in Klingberg, who is considering a potential return to the Maple Leafs. Before Klingberg was out for an extensive amount of time, he was a member of the Leafs. He played 14 games for Toronto and recorded five assists, two of those on the power play. The D-man averaged over 20 minutes of ice time. The narrative around Klingberg when he signed his one-year contract with the Leafs, was that he wasn’t a great player in the defensive end. However, the Swede is very strong offensively.
Klingberg was a top-ten scorer among defencemen in back-to-back seasons for the Dallas Stars. He finished fifth in the 2015-16 season and 10th in the following campaign. In both seasons, he finished sixth in the Norris Trophy voting. Over his 10-season career, Klingberg played 633 games and scored 81 goals and 412 points. He’s 18th among active D-men in scoring, it’s what he’s known for.
What’s in it For the Leafs?
Fans might wonder why general manager Brad Treliving is re-surfacing the chance to sign Klingberg to another contract. However, this appears to be a low-risk opportunity for the club. Chances are Klingberg and his agent Craig Oster would be content with signing a contract close to minimum wage. In Friedman’s report, he said that the player understands that he’ll have to go through a stint in the AHL before climbing the ranks again.
At the bottom of Toronto’s depth chart on defence are Conor Timmins and Philippe Myers on the right side. If Toronto went down the Klingberg path, he could have the opportunity to beat out those guys to earn a spot in the lineup. It would also be an opportunity to try him on the power play if all the stars align. The Leafs’ power play hasn’t been where it should be lately. Dreger reported that Klingberg’s team will make their decision toward the end of the month and the beginning of February.
Either way, it’s a low-risk situation if Treliving and the Maple Leafs go down that road.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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