Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign RHD John Klingberg (1 year, $4.15M) | UPD 11/23: LTIR

[TMLAM34]

Wait, is Hamonic a ufa?

Yes he is.

 

[Martin Skoula]

You're kidding, right?

Klingberg is one of the best in the league at moving the puck.

Is he? I feel like people see point totals and assume he’s a full-stack 200ft offensive defenseman. He’s good at shooting and moving the puck once he’s set up in the zone but he’s not a one man breakout from his own zone by any means. I haven’t watched every game he’s played but from what I have watched 90% of his value is in the offensive zone.

 

[TMLAM34]

Personally, would not be against signing hamonic at good price 2m or less... still better than schenn at 3,25 or 7 year contract of mayfield

Rielly - Hamonic
McCabe - Klingberg
Brodie - Liljegren
#7 - Giordano

I guess that wouldn’t be bad but it’s an old group that’s for sure.

 

[Dreakmur]

Lindell - Klingberg as a pairing didn't work too well even though I liked Klingberg individually.

I think McCabe is significantly better than Lindell, so hopefully the results are better.

Wait, Jake McCabe is better than Esa Lindell?

 

[PROUD PAPA]

Love the term. Let’s see if he earns the salary.

 

[kb]

Kingberg is Holl who can work a PP.

But is the single worst defensive D in the league. Should have just reupped Gus at less than 1/5th the price of this abomination.

 

[Mess]

The Toronto Maple Leafs have added some depth to their blue line.

National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman was the first to break the news, revealing that Klingberg has come to terms with the Maple Leafs on a 1 year deal that is valued at $4.15 million. That of course works out to an average annual value and salary cap hit of $4.15 million for the Leafs.

Klingberg is coming off a season split between the Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild, a season in which he appeared in a combined total of 77 regular season games, scoring 10 goals and adding 23 assists for a total of 33 points on the season.

It's hard not to feel for Klingberg upon learning of this news when you consider that, a little over a year ago, he famously turned down what was reported to be an 8 year deal from the Dallas Stars with an average annual value of $7 million per season. That missed opportunity for Klingberg however has now turned into an opportunity for the Maple Leafs and general manager Brad Treliving has pounced on it in the first day of free agency.

 

[ZEBROA]

If i was shan... a GM i would go for full defence rest of the way. If u got great D you need less scoring. Hard working defensive players. We got players that should be able to score.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Kingberg is Holl who can work a PP.

Except can't do any of the things that makes Holl a better defenseman than him.

The only thing they have in common is their size and being RH.

 

[Fogelhund]

He's better.

Offense and skating are far better, they need to pair him with the right guy though.

No question his offensive is better than Holl. No question his defense is FAR worse than Holl and it’s not even close.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Replacing Justin Holl with John Klingberg can't be seen as a bad thing.

 

[ktownhockey]

I'm out, this team is a f***ing train wreck.

Peace!

 

[kb]

Gonna bump this thread after he hits his 40th assist on this team.

How many seasons do you think he will be here....he's only signed for 1 year.

 

[seventieslord]

Rielly is really bad on the powerplay. He can gain the zone but almost never shoots so he is completely predictable, and when he does shoot it is a complete muffin.

That said, this is another one of those high-risk possibly high-reward deals the Leafs have been forced into by their incredibly bad cap management the past few years. Reclamation projects hoooo!

Except shouldn't reclamation projects cost, like, 1.5M?

 

[danny90]

I would rather take holl at this point but at least it’s just a year

 

[seventieslord]

All the people complaining about cap space I mean it’s fairly obvious trades are coming. Nylander and Brodie are gone, probably Murray as well and maybe Muzzin.

That would be peak Brad, trading the best defensive defenseman in the league for the worst in a matter of days.

 

[Stephen]

Except shouldn't reclamation projects cost, like, 1.5M?

13 months ago to the day...

Will John Klingberg Remain With the Dallas Stars? - The Hockey Writers Dallas Stars Latest News, Analysis & More

Behind finding the next head coach, the John Klingberg situation is the hottest topic surrounding the Dallas Stars this summer.

thehockeywriters.com

Yet, no deal has been made as we inch into the second offseason since these negotiations began. Things heated up around Christmas but still, no decision has been made either way. With Klingberg looking for a fairly large and deserved long-term deal in the area of eight years and $8 million per year, the Stars may simply not be able to afford him.

 

[seventieslord]

13 months ago to the day...

Will John Klingberg Remain With the Dallas Stars? - The Hockey Writers Dallas Stars Latest News, Analysis & More

Behind finding the next head coach, the John Klingberg situation is the hottest topic surrounding the Dallas Stars this summer.

thehockeywriters.com

OK, so 13 months ago Klingberg and his agent thought he was worth 8x8. Apparently no one else did. He was probably worth a lot closer to 4M. We're not getting him at discount, reclamation project price.

His next deal will be for lower AAV than this.

 

[Jacquestrapless]

If this season goes sideways, Leafs could always retain and move him for a pick, so whatever

 

[Larcos_Unal]

It's hard not to feel for Klingberg upon learning of this news when you consider that, a little over a year ago, he famously turned down what was reported to be an 8 year deal from the Dallas Stars with an average annual value of $7 million per season.

 

[Stephen]

OK, so 13 months ago Klingberg and his agent thought he was worth 8x8. Apparently no one else did. He was probably worth a lot closer to 4M. We're not getting him at discount, reclamation project price.

His next deal will be for lower AAV than this.

Well, he's not a complete "reclamation" project, just a recent star defenseman on a down year and a short term discount. Would have been our second highest scoring D man. $4.15 million is just middle class money we don't hand out a lot.

He makes less money than Matt Murray...

 

[ktownhockey]

In that case you sign Duchene and Wheeler.

Sadly, it's a two way street and those guys probably wanted nothing to do with us (Sadly).

 

[Brobust]

Wait, Jake McCabe is better than Esa Lindell?

Absolutely. I can't believe people moved on so quickly. Lindell is the one player I can think of who got negative coverage during a Stanley Cup run.

The guys was just awful back then. I don't know now because I haven't been following.

 

[Ciao]

I'm torn by this signing, but it's growing on me.

I don't know much about Klingberg except by reputation. I don't ever remember watching him play. I've read lots about him, but I don't know anything by first-hand observation. I also don't trust statistics too much as the true measure of a player. Goals, assists, games played and time on ice kind of stands out, but beyond that a lot of people use statistics like a drunk uses a lamp post -- for support, not illumination.

My first reaction was unfavourable, given his reputation as a soft defensively poor defenceman. Tyson Barrie comes to mind. A disaster. I'd prefer a rock-hard player who can clear the front of the net, like Luke Schenn.

However, I understand he can skate well, which automatically boosts him above Schenn, Justin Holl and maybe a lot of others. You can't hit what you can't catch. I'm also tired of watching Holl fish the puck out of the Leafs net after losing his player and being unable to catch up. Maybe there's room for improvement defensively with this move? Lots of laughs here, I'm sure, but everything is relative.

I also understand that he has a good shot, knows what to do with the puck and has been a bona fide top-four d-man pretty much his entire career. Plus he's a right-hand shot.

Put all that together, and I wonder if he could be a second-pairing with McCabe, after Rielly and Brodie, leaving Liljegren another season of development on the third pair with Giordano and leaving Timmins to gradually come in from time to time as a seventh defenceman?

It beats me, but maybe I'll try to watch him play and see how the whole team comes together before I cast judgment on this move.

You never know, I might learn something I didn't know before.

 

[Brobust]

OK, so 13 months ago Klingberg and his agent thought he was worth 8x8. Apparently no one else did. He was probably worth a lot closer to 4M. We're not getting him at discount, reclamation project price.

His next deal will be for lower AAV than this.

What a mess. Just a year ago Dallas was ready and willing with a $7M deal at max term and he walked away.

I get his logic considering he was ridiculously good, Erik Karlsson-lite during his early years, and only signed to $4M.