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

[Hoverhand]

In the 30 second PP at the end of regulation Klingberg showed us what he could do on the point, starting with the passing sequence that led to the Matthews shot attempt, or the shot that created the scoring opportunity and goal for Marner. He was just a highly skilled, dynamic presence would could move the puck efficiently.

There were other times when he didn’t seem to be that sharp. Over stickhandling at the point, letting the puck roll off him casually and casually roaming well out of position.

Generally he looks like the guy who can easily make all the plays Keefe had Holl attempting to make, little pinch plays, etc. so it’s just a matter of him getting that rust off. Staying focused and just play some sheltered minutes while he gets his Leaf legs.

That's a very good summary.

I cannot fault a regular NHL player for not going balls to the wall in his very first preseason game as some in this thread seem to be doing. It'll be interesting to see how he's deployed in the first 5-10 regular season games.

 

[wingman75]

He looked terrible last night. Reality is thought, first game of pre-season, new team... not concerned.

 

[mikeyz]

It was only 1 pre season game, but, my god, he was bad yesterday.

 

[Its not your fault]

When they provided effectively 0 value, yes.



He might end up being the long-term silver lining, but that doesn't help us this year, or next, or probably next.

Unfortunately you making your own trades up only really works in your reality.

 

[HomelessPepper]

Unfortunately you making your own trades up only really works in your reality.

What? It seems like you don't understand what I'm saying.

Where we are right now, with hindsight, is that we lost Sandin for Cowan. Whatever value Gustafsson provided at the time of the trade is gone.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Not sure why everyone is hating on the dude lol.

God forbid Rielly gets injured. Who would provide offence from the backend? Giordano?

It’s obvious we needed another offensive threat back there, and that’s exactly what Klingberg is.

 

[Stephen]

Not sure why everyone is hating on the dude lol.

God forbid Rielly gets injured. Who would provide offence from the backend? Giordano?

It’s obvious we needed another offensive threat back there, and that’s exactly what Klingberg is.

Also takes the heat off Rielly having to be a riverboat gambler offensively… brings the urgency of him having to hunt offense everywhere down knowing there’s other guys who will run the transition game.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Offensive defenseman who can't play defense

 

[Twine Tickler]

John looked a touch rusty last night. A little too pedestrian with the puck. It will be very unnerving if he continues to bait the high guy with the puck when he is walking the blue like he did yesterday. The risk/reward just doesn't seem worth it.

That said, I got a good glimpse of what he can provide last night. He is incredibly aggressive in the offensive zone. He is essentially an extra forward. Is there going to be inherent risk to this type of play? of course. But we struggled to find offense in the post season for a while now. I don't hate the idea of throwing a different element into our game to open up the ice a bit. A huge part of his overall success is going to be contingent on how well he meshes with Jake. That will take some more time to develop.

100% John is going to cost us some goals against this season. That much is abundantly clear. But if he can provide some timely offense, and extend plays in the offensive zone, the good could outweigh the bad.

That said, I can already tell he is going to be the new whipping boy. Seems only fair to take Justin's #3.

 

[ACC1224]

John looked a touch rusty last night. A little too pedestrian with the puck. It will be very unnerving if he continues to bate the high guy with the puck when he is walking the blue like he did yesterday. The risk/reward just doesn't seem worth it.

That said, I got a good glimpse of what he can provide last night. He is incredibly aggressive in the offensive zone. He is essentially an extra forward. Is there going to be inherent risk to this type of play? of course. But we struggled to find offense in the post season for a while now. I don't hate the idea of throwing a different element into our game to open up the ice a bit. A huge part of his overall success is going to be contingent on how well he meshes with Jake. That will take some more time to develop.

100% John is going to cost us some goals against this season. That much is abundantly clear. But if he can provide some timely offense, and extend plays in the offensive zone, the good could outweigh the bad.

That said, I can already tell he is going to be the new whipping boy. Seems only fair to take Justin's #3.

There always has to be one.

 

[Twine Tickler]

There always has to be one.

Yup. It's been that way as long as I can remember unfortunately.

John is going to help us more then he will hurt us, but unfortunately for him he will still likely be the Jake Gardiner of the 2023-24 season. People will only want to talk about his +/- and how many times he was on the ice for a GA.

even in a rusty game for john, he lead the team with 8 SOG. I can't remember the last time we've had a D-man put that many shots on net TBH. And it was only his first game.

I really like the idea of him on PP1, even though it was completely out of sync last night, there was one play where John took a cross seam feed on the right wall in stride and absolutely rifled a wrister that just barely missed. We've just not had that defenseman with a shoot first mentality for a very very long time. So I really think this could be something that helps open up some space fro our big boys to operate on that PP1.

 

[ACC1224]

Yup. It's been that way as long as I can remember unfortunately.

John is going to help us more then he will hurt us, but unfortunately for him he will still likely be the Jake Gardiner of the 2023-24 season. People will only want to talk about his +/- and how many times he was on the ice for a GA.

even in a rusty game for john, he lead the team with 8 SOG. I can't remember the last time we've had a D-man put that many shots on net TBH. And it was only his first game.

I really like the idea of him on PP1, even though it was completely out of sync last night, there was one play where John took a cross seam feed on the right wall in stride and absolutely rifled a wrister that just barely missed. We've just not had that defenseman with a shoot first mentality for a very very long time. So I really think this could be something that helps open up some space fro our big boys to operate on that PP1.

He was great in Dallas, I'd be surprised if his game has fallen off that much.

 

[Stephen]

John looked a touch rusty last night. A little too pedestrian with the puck. It will be very unnerving if he continues to bait the high guy with the puck when he is walking the blue like he did yesterday. The risk/reward just doesn't seem worth it.

That said, I got a good glimpse of what he can provide last night. He is incredibly aggressive in the offensive zone. He is essentially an extra forward. Is there going to be inherent risk to this type of play? of course. But we struggled to find offense in the post season for a while now. I don't hate the idea of throwing a different element into our game to open up the ice a bit. A huge part of his overall success is going to be contingent on how well he meshes with Jake. That will take some more time to develop.

100% John is going to cost us some goals against this season. That much is abundantly clear. But if he can provide some timely offense, and extend plays in the offensive zone, the good could outweigh the bad.

That said, I can already tell he is going to be the new whipping boy. Seems only fair to take Justin's #3.

The thing with Klingberg is he actually has the skills to play the role the Leafs would force feed their defensemen into by design.

Justin Holl was routinely making plays like he had no yellow or red light. There was never a situation where he wouldn’t plausibly try a pinch down the wall or roam behind the opposition end. You even saw that kind of risk slider with an Ilya Lyubushkin, whom as a RHD fridge wound up roaming into the LW opposition corner from time to time. With Klingberg, you finally have a guy who can actually pull off what the X’s and O’s are calling for.

 

[Its not your fault]

Only 107 defenseman have scored more then 100 goals ever. Now we have 2 projecting to break 100.

 

[kb]

When they provided effectively 0 value, yes.



He might end up being the long-term silver lining, but that doesn't help us this year, or next, or probably next.

Neither would Sandin. At best he's #6/7 spelling off Gio. He has not shown any capacity to play in the top 4.

 

[Magic Man]

I'm disappointed Luke didn't re-sign. I think his combined toughness and simple game were a nice compliment to Rielly. Had there been a taker for Brodie, you still could have signed Klingberg.

He is a missing ingredient. The blueline lacked offense last season. Klingberg could give you 65 points with PP1 usage. That difference in scoring along with changes up front to bring in high offensive upside players like Domi and Bertuzzi. If each of these guys thrive in this environment, it will be interesting to see how far they can push their totals. Definitely the type of secondary scoring they seem to have been missing in recent series.

 

[Frostitute]

Klingberg stinks worse than whatever's in the bottom of my fridge where the vegetables are supposed to go.

Crappy player is crappy.

Klingberg wants to be a forward sooooo badly. He's given up even trying to be a defenseman proper. He's worse than Holl defensively ffs.

I'd really like to know what fancy stats Treliving was looking at when he signed this guy.

Any public stat available tells us Klingberg stinks. He looks like a good third pairing defenseman. Except he gets paid like a good second pair defenseman.

If he gets hurt and can't play their chances of winning go up.

The only reason he's getting top four minutes is because the coach stinks too. Like someone who paints with crap and calls it art. Might fool a few people into thinking it looks good but guess what?

It still stinks.

So does Klingberg.

Clean your fridge dude.

 

[Shooter2x]

I'm disappointed Luke didn't re-sign. I think his combined toughness and simple game were a nice compliment to Rielly. Had there been a taker for Brodie, you still could have signed Klingberg.

He is a missing ingredient. The blueline lacked offense last season. Klingberg could give you 65 points with PP1 usage. That difference in scoring along with changes up front to bring in high offensive upside players like Domi and Bertuzzi. If each of these guys thrive in this environment, it will be interesting to see how far they can push their totals. Definitely the type of secondary scoring they seem to have been missing in recent series.

Klingberg and Heiskenen took Stars to the cup finals just by getting the puck on net. If he can provide even just that (because we don't get this) he's a big addition.


Quoted wrong post. On my phone, to much work to edit.

 

[Nineteen67]

He looked like a thinner, slower Justin Holl

 

[13pacheco31]

He looked like a thinner, slower Justin Holl

He's got more offensive upside than holl but pretty much sums it up. He's a better skating version of Cody Franson

 

[supermann_98]

Not discussed nearly enough if at all is the positive effect Klingberg may have on Liljegren.

An offensive minded Swedish RHD with a lot of experience running the point on the PP could help Liljegren further develop the offensive aspect of his play as well. It’s nice for him to have a mentor like this to take that next step

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Clean your fridge dude.

I just call it meatcake.
Could be meat. Could be cake.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

He looked like a thinner, slower Justin Holl

Lets not go there .. i never saw 2 slower guys in a long time in nhl in sandin and holl .. neither could keep up anywhere close to pace in drills ever .. klinberg must be faster than those 2 guys omg

 

[HomelessPepper]

Neither would Sandin.

What are you talking about? He was literally providing us offense last year. Of course he would help us this year.

At best he's #6/7 spelling off Gio. He has not shown any capacity to play in the top 4.

I literally never said anything about top 4.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

What are you talking about? He was literally providing us offense last year. Of course he would help us this year.



I literally never said anything about top 4.

Barrie could fly but he was scared on his own shadow

Sandin was fearless/strong/hand eye/ great stick but had a terrible leg extension in his stride and could not even play a fast AHL game of hockey

Klingberg is a bigger guy but based on 1st game he does not look balanced in his skating but told he has a boomer which we do need a guy with a boomer from point

Anyways these are all 3rd pair sheltered minutes guys whose defense sucks .. really don't like to see 4.2M CAP hit for a guy with limited capabilities on 3rd pair