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John Klingberg

Looking At John Klingberg’s Impending Free Agency

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Now that the free agency situations of Josh Manson, Darcy Kuemper, and Ryan Strome have been examined, it’s time to move on to another big name set to headline this offseason’s free agent market: John Klingberg. This is Klingberg’s seventh and final season on the deal worth nearly $30MM that he signed after he finished his entry-level contract. The only NHL club Klingberg has known, the Dallas Stars, have given out major contracts to both Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen on their blueline. Additionally, the Stars’ cap situation is further complicated by the fact that Tyler Seguin has a $9.85MM cap hit through 2026-2027 and Jamie Benn costs $9.5MM through 2024-25. The point of mentioning those names is to show that the Stars already have major money committed to their team going into the future, which makes Klingberg’s situation an interesting one.

It is made even more interesting by the contracts still yet to come. Jason Robertson is a restricted free agent this offseason, and Roope Hintz becomes one after next season. Given how those two players are going to be major pillars of the Stars’ future, it’s likely the team would prefer to pursue long-term extensions with each. Therefore, a Klingberg extension in Dallas seems highly unlikely.

That unlikeliness is made even more extreme by the kind of contract Klingberg is reportedly set to look for this offseason. According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, Klingberg is seeking a maximum-term deal worth around $8MM per year. With all of those factors in play, it is highly unlikely that Klingberg can receive that deal from the Stars. So, he will hit likely free agency and be among the top defensemen on the market.

In an offseason market, a player like Klingberg can be rare. Players traditionally signed in free agency are older, declining, and lacking in dynamic talent. While Klingberg, 29, isn’t young anymore, he isn’t nearing the end of his playing days either. Klingberg is a highly productive offensive defenseman and has posted 43 points in 65 games this season, which is a 54-point pace. He isn’t known for his defensive game and shouldn’t be an all-situations minute-eater like many coaches covet, but as a defenseman for the modern NHL, there are few more dangerous than Klingberg.

So, with all that in mind, the main question surrounding Klingberg will likely end up being about how much NHL clubs value offense-first defensemen nearing the age of 30. Dougie Hamilton got $9MM AAV from the Devils this past offseason but did it as a 28-year-old free agent. Klingberg will be 30 when next season starts and has not had as strong of a season as Hamilton had in his platform year. Will a team see enough value in Klingberg for him to get the contract he desires? Or will Klingberg’s foray into free agency prove to be a disappointment? Like with many major free agents, it could come down to not necessarily what he signs for, but where he signs his contract. Regardless, his time on the free agent market will be one of the marquee storylines during this offseason.

Dallas Stars Not Expected To Trade Klingberg, Holtby

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Though it had been trending this way for a while due to injury, illness, and the playoff race the Dallas Stars find themselves in, general manager Jim Nill made it clear today that John Klingberg and Braden Holtby will likely still be on the roster after Monday’s trade deadline. In fact, with regards to Holtby in particular, Nill was extremely clear that the veteran goaltender was completely off the market when he spoke with NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger.

I was never really actively shopping him. That was kind of more of the media. People were looking at our situation thinking we had an extra goalie. You never say never in case you get an overwhelming offer but the Khudobin surgery solidifies that Holtby is staying put.

That hip surgery that Nill references for Anton Khudobin will keep him out six months, meaning the Stars suddenly don’t have a ton of depth at the goaltending position despite coming into the year with too many options. Trading Holtby now would be risking everything on Jake Oettinger’s continued health (and continued strong play), and would leave Dallas with no legitimate NHL backup.

For Klingberg, things are still a little murkier, but Nill explained that for the Stars to succeed, the pending UFA defenseman needs to be there. He wouldn’t go so far as to say that he wouldn’t listen it’s not the same situation for Dallas as earlier in the year. When they were struggling, Klingberg was playing on the third pairing, and the playoffs seemed like a stretch, it made sense for teams to try and pry the 29-year-old out of the Stars’ lineup. But with Miro Heiskanen now out with mononucleosis and the team right in the hunt, Klingberg is back to playing nearly 25 minutes a game and leading the team’s offensive attack.

The term “own-rental” has been thrown around in recent years, and it appears as though that’s exactly what Klingberg represents for Dallas. An extension at this point hasn’t been negotiated and seems unlikely, but just as other playoff contenders are trading assets to acquire expiring contracts for a postseason run, the Stars will hold onto their own as they try to catch the Vegas Golden Knights for the final wild card position. They currently sit just one point out after losing their last three, but still have four games in hand over Vegas.

For teams looking at right-shot defensemen at the deadline, the market is quickly shrinking. Josh Manson was already traded to the Colorado Avalanche and now Klingberg is unlikely to go anywhere. While there is always a premium carried by true right-side options, that cost could climb even further in the next few days.

Latest On John Klingberg

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One of the names talked about most this season when it comes to trade bait is John Klingberg, the long-time Dallas Stars defenseman and a pending unrestricted free agent. Klingberg hasn’t made any progress with the Stars on an extension and had previously been given permission to speak to other teams around the league about a potential fit.

If the Stars had planned on trading him, they likely are pretty grateful they waited, now that Miro Heiskanen is out indefinitely following a mononucleosis diagnosis. In the games since Heiskanen left the lineup, Klingberg has logged the following ice times: 26:41, 25:31, 23:36, 22:15. Not exactly a player you can easily replace if the Stars’ young defenseman doesn’t return soon.

Still, Saad Yousuf of The Athletic writes that Heiskanen’s absence is “not a deciding factor” and that the team hasn’t completely closed the door on a trade, even if it has become more unlikely. The Stars would be looking for a package that wasn’t exclusively future assets though, according to Yousuf, wanting a player who they could plug into the lineup immediately if any deal is reached.

That’s certainly not an easy move to make, and on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Jeff Marek of Sportsnet–who has been on the Klingberg story from the beginning–talked about how difficult it would be for the Stars to give up a player when they’re this close to the playoffs. The team is now one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights with four games in hand, and still in the race for a Central Division spot beyond that. Marek confirms that there have been teams chasing the pending free agent (including the Carolina Hurricanes at one point) but that he is probably “too valuable” at this point for Dallas.

All Klingberg has done in his past three games is put up five points, taking his season total to 31 through 50 games. Despite the short stint on the third pairing, missed games, and the trade rumors swirling around him, the 29-year-old is still on pace for a 45-point season. If he hits that market, it would be for the sixth time in his career. The biggest thing Heiskanen’s absence might affect is the dollar figure on Klingberg’s next deal. A stretch run playing 25 minutes a night on a playoff contender certainly won’t hurt his market this offseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Deadline Notes: Chychrun, Marino, Klingberg, Georgiev

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The Arizona Coyotes announced that defenseman Jakob Chychrun would not return for the Coyotes tonight after suffering a lower-body injury against the Boston Bruins. Interestingly, this was Chychrun’s second trip to the dressing room of the evening, after leaving the ice earlier in the game and returning, before taking a hit from Boston’s Derek Forbort. As a result of the hit, Chychrun fell awkwardly into the boards.

The injury carries multiple layers of concern for the Coyoytes. While the team is first and foremost concerned with the health of Chychrun, he is one of Arizona’s most important players. It’s also no secret that Chychrun’s name has been front and center among potential trade bait as the NHL’s trade deadline nears, and any long-term injury to Chychrun could drastically affect his market.

  • In the 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added another interesting name to the trade deadline discussion: John Marino. Friedman mentions Marino as a potential option for the Vancouver Canucks, who are searching for an impact defenseman. Friedman adds, however, that the Pittsburgh Penguins very much like Marino and would certainly prefer to keep him. The idea of trading Marino might seem misplaced, especially with the Penguins sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division, however Vancouver could utilize one of their forward assets such as J.T. Miller or Brock Boeser to try and acquire Marino from Pittsburgh. Even if the young defenseman could bring the Penguins a player like Boeser, Marino is signed through the 2026-27 season at a very reasonable $4.4MM per season, something the salary-cap-mindful Penguins may not want to part with.
  • Joining Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada was Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, who took a name out of the deadline conversation: John Klingberg. Marek mentions that with Miro Heiskanen expected to miss time with mononucleosis, Klingberg may now be more valuable to the Stars than what they could get back for him. Rumors had started to circulate around Klingberg as a potential trade chip when it appeared the Stars would not be able to re-sign the pending UFA. While the talented defenseman would likely bring back a large return for Dallas, the team is in the midst of a playoff push and could use Klingberg for its own benefit. Even if Klingberg leaves via free agency in the summer, he could function as a rental for Dallas, who may have sought to replace him anyways if they were to trade him away. With nine days to go until the NHL’s trade deadline, things can surely change, but for now, it appears Klingberg is staying put.
  • ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports that New York Rangers’ goaltender Alexandar Georgiev has switched agents ahead of the trade deadline. Georgiev is now represented by Gerry Johannson of TSC Hockey. It is not immediately clear why Georgiev changed his representation, but the switch is noteworthy considering Georgiev is one of the more likely names to be moved ahead of the trade deadline.

Latest On Dallas Stars Deadline Plans

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The Dallas Stars are an enigma. On one hand, they are a team with long-term, anchor-like contracts to underperforming stars, and on the other, they are an exciting roster filled with young developing talents and one grizzled veteran having arguably the best season of his career. They are a team that lost five in a row and nine of 14, just before winning four in a row and eight of 11. They are just one point out of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, and yet have a negative goal differential (-1).

So what kind of team are they as the deadline approaches? Are they buyers, sellers, or stay-put-ers? John Klingberg would certainly have you believe they are going to sell at the deadline, at least in his case. The veteran defenseman is on an expiring contract and publicly admitted that the Stars gave his camp license to look for a different fit around the league. There doesn’t appear to be an extension coming in Dallas, meaning the Stars could sell off Klingberg as a top-end rental and get back a number of future assets.

Then there is Joe Pavelski, that grizzled veteran, also in an expiring deal but having the season of his life. At age-37, the versatile forward has 21 goals and 52 points in 47 games. If that pace continues, it would be the first time he has reached the point-per-game mark for a full season, though he has come awfully close previously. Pavelski leads the Stars in scoring and has found a perfect linemate in young Jason Robertson, who appears to be a superstar in the making. If the team decided to sell, Pavelski would be coveted by every contender in the league.

Not so fast, says Sean Shapiro of The Athletic. He tweets that with the Stars in a playoff race, a general manager on the hot seat and an owner “desperate for playoff revenue,” Dallas shouldn’t be considered a seller.

It is true that the Stars are in the playoff race. After their recent stretch of strong play, they are once again within striking distance of the postseason. That of course comes with the caveat that the only spots within their grasp appear–at the moment anyway–to be the wild card positions, as Dallas remains seven points behind the St. Louis Blues for third in the Central Division, with the Nashville Predators in between the two.

As for the GM on the hot seat, Jim Nill has been at the head of the Dallas front office since 2013. The Stars have reached the playoffs just four times in his eight full seasons as GM, and other than the Cinderella-like run in the 2020 bubble playoffs when the Stars made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals have never made it past the second round. Nill is on his fourth coach and is the one who inked those contracts for Jamie Benn–signed through 2024-25 at $9.5MM per season–and Tyler Seguin–signed through 2026-27 at $9.85MM per season–that look so daunting now.

Like many teams around the league, Dallas is currently using long-term injured reserve relief to fit everyone in. Ben Bishop, who isn’t expected to play again is the source of that, meaning they have a little wiggle room to add if they wanted to. But it’s not much and with the team still outside the playoff picture looking in, using futures to add also doesn’t seem like the best strategy. So for now, at least until things are sorted further in the Western Conference postseason picture, the Stars remain an enigma.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Poll: Which Player Will Fetch The Biggest Trade Deadline Return?

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The trade deadline is almost within the next month, and as March 21st approaches, rumors continue to swirl about names that could be dealt. There’s a lot of big-name talent, and some high-end role players as well that teams are sure to value.

One player who truly encapsulates both of those terms is Claude Giroux. The longtime captain of the Philadelphia Flyers is in the last year of his deal, and as the Flyers skid further and further out of playoff contention, there’s continual chatter about them moving their captain out for assets, helping him get a chance to win a Stanley Cup. There are many teams who would line up to acquire his services, including the already powerhouse Colorado Avalanche, who have been linked to Giroux in recent days.

Another potential big-name center on the market is San Jose’s Tomas Hertl. Speculation about his future has ramped up rapidly. With the Sharks in a sort of “tweener” status as they look to exit their rebuild sooner than planned, Hertl is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season in the prime of his career. This will be the biggest payday of his life in all likelihood, and while Hertl does enjoy San Jose, if the Sharks feel it’s unlikely they’ll be able to reach a deal, he could be suiting up elsewhere next month.

Defenseman Jakob Chychrun is having a tough year in Arizona, but that doesn’t mean the young, cost-controlled blue-liner isn’t an attractive piece for teams looking at adding to their top-four. The rumoured asking price for him is large, but Chychrun has just 11 points in 37 games, a far cry from his torrid pace last season. He’s no rental, though, as if he rebounds, his $4.6MM cap hit until 2025 could be incredible value for an acquiring team.

One defenseman who is racking up points is Dallas’ John Klingberg. While injured right now, he has 26 points in 39 games. An unrestricted free agent this year, Klingberg reportedly requested a trade. With Dallas not guaranteed to make the playoffs at this point, they could make the choice to recoup assets on Klingberg while they can.

So, we ask you, PHR readers: who do you think will fetch the largest return at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline? Will it be someone other than the options mentioned? Make your voice heard here.

Mobile users, click here to vote!

Injury Notes: Stars, Ducks, Golden Knights, Devils

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Dallas Stars digital manager Kyle Shohara reports from team practice that defenseman John Klingberg and center Radek Faksa took the ice today after missing time with an upper-body injury and non-COVID-related illness, respectively. Klingberg missed the team’s last game, a 5-1 win against the New Jersey Devils, while Faksa missed that game and the night prior against the Philadelphia Flyers. Both would be huge returns to the Stars lineup, especially Klingberg. With the Swedish defenseman reportedly requesting a trade out of Dallas, every game (and every good play) matters for Dallas to recoup as much value as possible if a trade occurs.

A busy night in the NHL yields more injury news:

  • The Anaheim Ducks get two key contributors back tonight versus Montreal, activating center Adam Henrique from injured reserve and defenseman Josh Manson from COVID-19 protocol. Both return to prominent roles in the lineup, with Henrique’s 16 points in 24 games likely to help boost a stagnating Ducks offense as of late. To make room on the active roster, the team reassigned defensemen Jacob Larsson and Greg Pateryn to the taxi squad and Brendan Guhle to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
  • Two gigantic contributors are returning to the Vegas Golden Knights lineup, as wingers Max Pacioretty and Reilly Smith make their returns tonight, per the Las Vegas Sun’s Justin Emerson. Pacioretty’s rarely been healthy this year, but when he has, he’s scored at a torrid pace, netting 12 goals and 21 points in 16 games. Smith, coming off COVID protocol, has a respectable 29 points in 41 games.
  • The New Jersey Devils got some good news with defenseman Ty Smith coming off injured reserve today, but he’s been replaced on the list by center Michael McLeod. Despite Smith’s strong rookie campaign last season, he’s having a serious sophomore slump with poor defensive numbers and just 10 points in 33 games to show for it. Hopefully, a reset can help jumpstart an improvement in play for the 21-year-old. The Devils will miss McLeod and his 11 points and 41 games in a depth role.

John Klingberg Trade Talks Ramping Up

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As the trade deadline approaches, many eyes have turned to the Dallas Stars after John Klingberg spoke publicly about the lack of extension negotiations making him feel underappreciated. Klingberg’s representatives received approval from the club earlier this season to approach other teams to try and find a fit as the veteran defenseman approaches unrestricted free agency, but there hasn’t been a deal completed to this point.

Through the first part of the season, Klingberg had been getting his normal ice time, well over 20 minutes on most nights. Recently though, those numbers have dropped and tonight will be a huge change, as the former Norris Trophy nominee is skating on the third pairing against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jeff Marek of Sportsnet spoke about the situation on tonight’s 32 Thoughts segment:

The Dallas Stars have stepped up their efforts to trade John Klingberg. We believe very much that he is getting dealt. Hard to say exactly when, but Dallas does seem aggressive in wanting to get something done soon-ish. 

Today, Stars head coach Rick Bowness told reporters including Saad Yousuf of The Athletic that if he could have, he would have made some “surprising” healthy scratches tonight as he looks to get his team back on track. Dallas doesn’t really have the option to do that right now as several players are on the COVID protocol.

Whether Klingberg would have been one of those isn’t clear, but it’s obvious that the team is preparing for a time without the pending UFA. At the time of this writing, he has the fifth-most ice time among Dallas defenders tonight, only ahead of partner Joel Hanley.

One thing to note when it comes to Klingberg speculation is that the 29-year-old defenseman has does not have any trade protection in his current contract and could be sent anywhere. His $4.25MM cap hit could also make him rather palatable for even the most cap-strapped contenders, depending on what comes back to Dallas. Through 29 games this season (before tonight), Klingberg has 17 points.

John Klingberg Clarifies Trade Rumors

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The Dallas Stars had a brilliant comeback to topple the Pittsburgh Penguins today, with goals from Denis Gurianov, Joe Pavelski, and Roope Hintz to take the team to 17-12-2 on the season. One of the assists on Pavelski’s game-tying goal went to John Klingberg, a player who has been in the news lately due to a report that he requested a trade out of Dallas recently.

Klingberg was asked specifically about that report and the trade rumors that have surrounded him all season, and explained his side of the story (video via Bally Sports Southwest):

Yeah I don’t think it’s entirely true. It’s not like I’ve been going up and asking ’I want to get traded now.’ Nothing like that. It’s something that’s been going on with the [contract] negotiations and stuff like that.

I’m not going to lie, it’s been a few frustrating years individually. As a player it all ends up coming to your next contract, obviously. I’ve been a Dallas Star since day one. I’ve been pretty clear that I want to stay here. I grew up here. I had my daughter here. At the end of the day it’s a business, but it’s a business on both sides. I have to take care of my part as well. It’s been standing still. 

After last season I was pretty clear that I wanted to start negotiating right away and see where we were at. They wanted some time with free agency, the draft, and stuff like that. I understand that, but at the same time I’ve been here proving the kind of player I’ve been for eight years now. Other guys have signed right before the season and I wanted to do that as well. Lately it’s just been going more quieter and quieter. 

For me as a player, I don’t feel as though I’ve been appreciated in that way, when we don’t even negotiate. It’s quiet. So for me as a player, and with my agent, we talked with Jim [Nill] a couple months back, and he agreed we could start talking with other GMs to see where we were at. Negotiation wise with the Stars has been very quiet, so it’s been a little disappointing. 

Klingberg, 29, is in the final season of a seven-year, $29.75MM contract signed in 2015. He currently carries a $4.25MM cap hit and is earning $6MM in actual salary this season. He has been eligible to sign an extension since the start of last offseason, with reports indicating that he was looking for a new eight-year contract in the range of $62-66MM. That would represent a substantial raise, but not one that would put him ahead of teammate Miro Heiskanen, who signed an eight-year, $67.6MM deal last July.

He’s not the only big-ticket player that is on an expiring deal in Dallas either. Pavelski and Alexander Radulov are both pending unrestricted free agents, while Gurianov and Jason Robertson are both set to become restricted free agents.

Even while these rumors have swirled around Klingberg, his play has remained relatively strong. Through 26 games he is averaging almost 22 minutes a night and has 17 points. While there has been an obvious shift to Heiskanen as the team’s lead defensemen, Klingberg is still an extremely important part of the Stars’ roster and a trade would certainly weaken them for any potential playoff push they have in mind.

With the win today, the team has now taken four in a row and climbed within one point of the Winnipeg Jets for fifth in the Central Division. They’re still six points behind the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche.

Latest On John Klingberg

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It appears as though a giant wrench has been thrown into John Klingberg’s short-term future. The pending unrestricted free agent defenseman hasn’t had much progress in contract talks with the Dallas Stars, or at least it hadn’t been reported. Now, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta says sources have told him that Klingberg has requested a trade from the team.

If that’s the case, it puts Dallas in a really unique position. While they currently sit fourth-last in the Western Conference, they have many games in hand on the rest of the playing field. In fact, when sorting by points percentage, the Stars are currently eighth in the conference, well within the playoff mix.

However, a Klingberg deal at the trade deadline could bring in a lot of good future assets for the team. He’d surely be one of the most desirable assets available – a first-pairing right-shot defenseman in his prime with a reasonable cap hit demands astronomical value. He has one year left with a cap hit of $4.25MM, something that nearly any contender could take on if a third party is involved to retain salary.

Klingberg is sixth on the Stars with 16 points in 25 games. While he’s not having his best season, he’s demonstrated a long track record of being able to quarterback a power-play and swallow up tough minutes. A change of scenery at the deadline could bring out his best for a playoff run, where he’s done well historically.

And while a return for Klingberg may bring in a great package, it could force Dallas to make some weird moves at the trade deadline. If they’re still in playoff position and feel as though they’re in a position to contend, it would make a lot of sense to deal Klingberg in advance of the deadline. It’s appealing to his new team, as it gives him more time to adjust to his new systems and surroundings. It also gives Dallas time to regroup, allowing them to flip some of the Klingberg return to put themselves in a buyers’ position at the trade deadline.

Regardless, it’s a giant wrinkle in the Klingberg story. All eyes will be on him for the next few months, as he’s also going to be one of the best defensemen available on the free-agent market this offseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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