Dreger: John Klingberg return to NHL (TOR OTT EDM among 5-7 interested teams)

[Mr Positive]

I'd take him as a 7th D in Edmonton for league min and see how he looks getting up to speed. Wouldn't offer a dime more though.

Imo you also guarantee him long looks in the top 4, or at least playing with out top forwards. I'm not saying he should be stapled there indefinitely, but if we are signing him it means the hope is that he fills out the top 4 so a little patience might pay off

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Imo you also guarantee him long looks in the top 4, or at least playing with out top forwards. I'm not saying he should be stapled there indefinitely, but if we are signing him it means the hope is that he fills out the top 4 so a little patience might pay off

I wouldn't guarantee him any playing time at all, nevermind top four time. We're a Cup contender, not a daycare. He's missed over an entire season. I'd tell him he gets the icetime he earns. If he doesn't bite at that, so be it.

 

[AnInjuredJasonZucker]

Am not really seeing anything that would make teams that watched Brannstrom pass through waivers yesterday decide they need an older and more brittle offense-first third-pairing defensman.

.26 vs .65 points per game. These players are not the same, and they would not fill the same need.

This presupposes that Klingberg is healthy and can at least acheive the level of production that he did 2 seasons ago. I'd say he'll need to work out pretty extensively with a team prior to anyone taking a chance.

 

[Mr Positive]

I wouldn't guarantee him any playing time at all, nevermind top four time. We're a Cup contender, not a daycare. He's missed over an entire season. I'd tell him he gets the icetime he earns. If he doesn't bite at that, so be it.

Imo we are currently playing Josh Brown based on a promise. It doesn't have to be seen as a big deal. Both sides benefit from the promise. We would want Klingberg to succeed and if that means taking some gambles with him, I see the appeal in rolling with it. Think of the assets and cap we'd save if it worked out, and what else we could add

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Imo you also guarantee him long looks in the top 4, or at least playing with out top forwards. I'm not saying he should be stapled there indefinitely, but if we are signing him it means the hope is that he fills out the top 4 so a little patience might pay off

...then, as an Oil fan, you'd be comfortable with:

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Klingberg

 

[Mr Positive]

...then, as an Oil fan, you'd be comfortable with:

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Klingberg

Yeah sure. BTW Nurse is worth his deal this year. He's been great. What he needs is a partner with skill and can skate well. Troy Stecher has looked good on the 2nd pair and he's more of a bottom pairing guy so the question is, can Klingberg be better than Stecher? Idk if Klingberg can be that but maybe after his surgeries he can(?)

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

Am not really seeing anything that would make teams that watched Brannstrom pass through waivers yesterday decide they need an older and more brittle offense-first third-pairing defensman.

Klingberg has actually scored at the NHL level and is half a foot taller.

At league min-ish, he’s worth a swing.

Yeah sure. BTW Nurse is worth his deal this year. He's been great. What he needs is a partner with skill and can skate well. Troy Stecher has looked good on the 2nd pair and he's more of a bottom pairing guy so the question is, can Klingberg be better than Stecher? Idk if Klingberg can be that but maybe after his surgeries he can(?)

Thought Nurse - Kulak has been quite good this year, no?

 

[TheNumber4]

...then, as an Oil fan, you'd be comfortable with:

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Klingberg

Have you see what's available for RHD on the market this year? Flyers asking for a 1st round pick+ for trash like Ristolainen. Atleast Klingberg used to be able to move a puck, Ristolainen while 100% healthy can't move the puck. I'd take a cheap flyer on Klingberg and see if he's got any game left, doesn't hurt to check it out.

 

[Mr Positive]

Klingberg has actually scored at the NHL level and is half a foot taller.

At league min-ish, he’s worth a swing.


Thought Nurse - Kulak has been quite good this year, no?

Imo they would be exposed in the playoffs because Kulak is a bit awkward on his off side. That happened a bit last playoffs. Kulak and Broberg were much better than RD Desharnais because they play hockey much better than Desharnais, but both are a bit leaky on the wall imo

 

[TheNumber4]

Klingberg has actually scored at the NHL level and is half a foot taller.

At league min-ish, he’s worth a swing.


Thought Nurse - Kulak has been quite good this year, no?

Nurse-Kulak have been good together. But why use Kulak on his off side when he's better suited for Left Side and can help a guy like Emberson on the 3rd pair.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

Imo they would be exposed in the playoffs because Kulak is a bit awkward on his off side. That happened a bit last playoffs. Kulak and Broberg were much better than RD Desharnais because they play hockey much better than Desharnais, but both are a bit leaky on the wall imo

Nurse-Kulak have been good together. But why use Kulak on his off side when he's better suited for Left Side and can help a guy like Emberson on the 3rd pair.

All good points. If playoffs started today, where would you have Kulak if not with Nurse and who would you play Nurse with?

 

[TheNumber4]

All good points. If playoffs started today, where would you have Kulak if not with Nurse and who would you play Nurse with?

If today, you'd have to spread the wealth. So like:

Nurse-Emberson
Kulak-Stecher

Not ideal, which is why we are looking for a 4RHD.

Alternatively, you could go:

Nurse-Kulak
AHL Call up?-Emberson

Stecher doesn't have much experience on his off side. And then your 3rd pair is in alot of trouble.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Did he learn to play defense in the interim?

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

I gotta ask why Edmonton would want him ?

Imagine being worse defensively than Bouchard and bring a fraction of the offense.

Unless it's as a 7th dman, replacement for Bouchard only type ? He'd probably run the PP better than Nurse, but that's about the only reason I can see.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

Sorry I don't get that. He's likely looking for a deal to build value. That means he's cheap.

That means that if he fails, it doesn't hurt our ability to go after a different defenseman at the deadline.

Klingberg's competition is Troy Stecher and Kulak playing his wrong side. If these surgeries mean he's better than he was before, it's a good situation for him to build his value back

Idk. Maybe I remember him from that playoff run for Dallas. He was better than a young Heiskanen. Mobile, tenacious. If he's closer to that than he's been in recent years, it's a good gamble to take.

I get the buy low part. I'd be concerned putting all our hopes on his shoulders as the top 4 D solution. I feel if we added him that likely would close the door on looking for another upgrade. I wouldn't have high expectations on him prior to the deadline, so it would be hard to judge him. What I mean is, look how long it took Connor Brown to show what he could do. Even if he is good to go, what level will he be at right now, that's kind of hard to judge. If the plan is sign him cheap as depth and still look at the 2RD as the hole to fill approaching the deadline that I'd obviously feel different about.

Edit : after posting this, I read CO above said as a 7th D league min, sure. Rolling the dice on that I'm on board. He'd have to be aware of that. I wouldn't sell him on a top 4 spot. If he comes in and steals it, that's another thing.

 

[David71]

vancouver needs D.

 

[Altimus]

From an Ottawa stand point, from a positive view, as long as he doest play more mins then Zub, JBD, AND Jansen when slotted in, I'd be okay with the signing at league minimum. We have very little offensive output from our backend this season. Could be a good option in offensive faceoffs.

 

[McHelpus]

I gotta ask why Edmonton would want him ?

Imagine being worse defensively than Bouchard and bring a fraction of the offense.

Unless it's as a 7th dman, replacement for Bouchard only type ? He'd probably run the PP better than Nurse, but that's about the only reason I can see.

Probably Coffey wants him? No clue

 

[oilers4life5]

I thought this guy was cooked. Any insight?

 

[TheNumber4]

From an Ottawa stand point, from a positive view, as long as he doest play more mins then Zub, JBD, AND Jansen when slotted in, I'd be okay with the signing at league minimum. We have very little offensive output from our backend this season. Could be a good option in offensive faceoffs.

How's your PP this year. Could you see Klingberg on it?

 

[Altimus]

How's your PP this year. Could you

How's your PP this year. Could you see Klingberg on it?

If Chabot or Sanderson are injured 100% we had a great pp to start the season but need a third QB.

 

[McDrailers]

He's been injured.

If his injury is fixed then he would be worth a league minium contract, unless you have to expose a more valuable younger defenceman to waivers by doing so.

The Leafs could send down either or both of Mermis and Rifai to sign Klingberg and bring McCabe back off IR.

LD: Rielly, McCabe, Benoit, and Ekman-Larsson.

RD: Tanev, Myers, Timmins, and Klingberg.

Mix and match, on either side, in any order you like.

Signing Klingberg doesn't cost the Leafs anything but money. There is no opportunity cost, in case something better comes along later.

There's nothing else in the system.

Outside view; the leafs should be all over how thirsty the league is for D and rid themselves of rilleys 7 million

 

[NotAVacuumSalesman]

Sign him for league min.

Depth on defence is vital in the playoffs.

He doesn’t cost anything to acquire, just cap space. He’s basically free insurance if a team does spend asset(s) for an upgrade at the TDL.