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

[Sypher04]

Klingberg is probably amongst the worst defensive defenseman in the league and when we tried to add another in his mold in Barrie, it wasn't good. We also had Muzzin on that roster who was still very good at the time, we're lacking that currently.

I don't think these are outlandish proclamations.

Barrie could have been effective here and probably should have been. Babcock publicly stated he’s trying to change the player short after we acquired him. If we had let him actually play to strengths that whole year things would have been different. He was pretty good under Keefe but people had already made up their minds on him based on his poor start

 

[Azail]

Actually we didn't really lack that all year before the trade deadline. First half of the season when Giordano and Liljegren were playing really well and Sandin was still here we went on a really long winning streak and played some of our best hockey as a team. Pretty sure that was without Rielly too.

You're correct. After the trade deadline after the acquisitions it was noticable how much harder it was to get out of the zone. They were winning still, but it seemed uglier.

 

[Sypher04]

I cannot begin to tell you all how little I think of these random advanced stat charts every self proclaimed expert on the internet is into making these days. Jfresh or otherwise.

Obviously he needs to be paired with a more defensive partner, like many PMDs require, but Klingberg did not suddenly forget how to defend the last 2 years. Some is bad team/partner, some is underperformance, and some is probably usage/coaching tactics. It’s on Keefe now to figure out how to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses.

 

[Nylanderthal]

playoff problems
Lack of speed
soft poorly constructed team

results
they couldn’t defend
they couldn’t score


And the year after.

That was always Dubas’ plan, imo.

Defending had never been the issue, it’s been additional scoring punch. Kling provides something no one on the team has in an actual bomb from the point and is honestly one of the better transition D in the league. Only Morgan and Lilly of our current group can transition up the ice with any impact.
This team has been top 5-7 in every single measurable defensive metric that isolates skater impact. Please for the love of god get better at analyzing what you watch and put down the bud lights while doing so

 

[Maple Leaf]

I am not a fan of offensive defensemen

 

[KPower]

His career playoff statistics suggest otherwise.

 

[Nineteen67]

Defending had never been the issue, it’s been additional scoring punch. Kling provides something no one on the team has in an actual bomb from the point and is honestly one of the better transition D in the league. Only Morgan and Lilly of our current group can transition up the ice with any impact.
This team has been top 5-7 in every single measurable defensive metric that isolates skater impact. Please for the love of god get better at analyzing what you watch and put down the bud lights while doing so

No one cares about meaningless regular season stats except soft people like Mike Johnson who couldn’t handle the playoff grind.

They lost most of the loose puck battles because they were (are) too slow. Their D was terrible in the playoffs.

 

[DarkKnight]

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

Me too, when he gets pyloned for the 40th time

 

[Nineteen67]

They are way too slow. As much as I wanted a guy like O'Reillys leadership, I don't know that this team can handle yet another guy who can't skate. How do we get Tavares to waive? His $11 million contract is a team killer.

They have to wait it out.

 

[DarkKnight]

Barrie could have been effective here and probably should have been. Babcock publicly stated he’s trying to change the player short after we acquired him. If we had let him actually play to strengths that whole year things would have been different. He was pretty good under Keefe but people had already made up their minds on him based on his poor start

He was good for the first three games under a Keefe then reverted back to garbage and he didn’t trust him at all. Recall all the D injuries near the end of the year and he was STILL, the VET, being sheltered, he was that bad here.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

No one care about meaningless regular season stats except soft people like Mike Johnson who couldn’t handle the playoff grind.

They lost most of the loose puck battles because they were (are) too slow. Their D was terrible in the playoffs.

BUT THINK OF THE EXPECTED GOALS

 

[Ciao]

I am not a fan of offensive defensemen

I kind of liked Paul Coffey and Bobby Orr.

I think it depends on the defenceman.

 

[Brobust]

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.

I've watched him and I've seen microstat profiles of him showing him to be very effective at transitioning the puck.

 

[4thline]

There's a version of John Klingberg that despite his defensive deficiency's was able to be a 20+ minute, unsheltered top 4 dman on a team that went to the cup finals.

The hope is that we get something resembling that guy and make the most of him.

 

[Clark4Ever]

With all the talent on this roster, especially after today, Klingberg should have one of his best career offensive seasons for us.

 

[123offtheglass]

Chynoweth will have his hands full with Klingberg, at least there is a lot of talent and upside here.

 

[Dekes For Days]

He was good for the first three games under a Keefe then reverted back to garbage and he didn’t trust him at all. Recall all the D injuries near the end of the year and he was STILL, the VET, being sheltered, he was that bad here.

Barrie was on our top pairing and played a team-leading 23:29 per game, and over 20 minutes a night at ES, while Rielly was injured. He was relied on quite a bit and was a big part of keeping us in a playoff spot while we were decimated. People have really skewed memories of Barrie.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Hard to see him working out when Barrie didn't. I see them as the same mold.

Leafs defence were too soft. Need bigger meaner guys back there.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Maple Leafs Media Availability | John Klingberg | July 3, 2023

Toronto Maple Leafs

July 3, 2023

John Klingberg talks to the media following his signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

[PromisedLand]

Plot thickens

 

[Clark4Ever]

If Keefe let's him quarterback the first power play unit, this guy is going to feast this season.

 

[Peace Frog]

Not sure if this has been talked about yet, but did anyone see the clip of Klingberg talking about who and what convinced him to come to Toronto?

He said that it was BT himself and that he told Klinger that he was going to be doing some “other stuff” to assure him that he’d want to sign here.

When someone asked the interviewer if the other stuff was before or after the Domi and Bertuzzi signings, Klingberg said that it was stuff after them.

Hmmmm….. very interesting!

Lol…. Sorry folks! Just saw the post just a couple before mine.

 

[The Masters]

Bounce back year

 

[13pacheco31]

Plot thickens

I think another addition on the blue line is coming, possibly Brodie being traded?

 

[notbias]

Plot thickens

When did he tell him? Today or when he signed him?

I think another addition on the blue line is coming, possibly Brodie being traded?

Why does no one want D who can play D?