After placing him on LTIR Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers' decision to sign veteran defenseman John Klingberg this season appears to have been a gamble that didn’t quite pay off.
The Oilers announced that Klingberg was moved to LTIR, allowing the team to play Noah Philp against the St. Louis Blues. Klingberg was the only player the Oilers could have made this move with, but that doesn’t necessarily change the optics of their decision to add him in the first place.
Adding a skilled puck-moving blueliner with a history of offensive production at a low cap hit would have been a good idea for several teams, but the Oilers weren’t necessarily one of them. As much as the addition was viewed as a low-risk decision when Klingberg was signed, the move hasn't paid off. He played only 11 games, scoring one goal and four points. If he’s done for the season, it was an uneventful run.
Klingberg’s Injuries Seem To Have Gotten The Best Of Him
Klingberg, who has battled injuries over the past few seasons, was signed in hopes that he could provide additional offensive support from the back end. The Oilers already have Evan Bouchard, so Klingberg wasn’t likely to get power-play time. The Oilers then added Jake Walman at the trade deadline, moving Klingberg down the depth chart even further.
While no report definitively states his injury timeline, it feels less likely that he could see some action in the playoffs.
The Oilers Could Have Made Other Moves
The real downside to the Klingberg experiment appears to be the opportunity cost. Instead of allocating $1.75 million to an unnecessary luxury, the Oilers may have missed out on filling more pressing needs.
Adding a stay-at-home defenseman, a 1B goaltender, or another top-six forward was more of a priority. In a season where every dollar counts and every lineup decision matters, and where some players were added at the deadline for surprisingly low returns, the Oilers might have been able to find a better fit.
Edmonton was rumored to be interested in Brad Marchand. He ultimately went to the Florida Panthers or a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. The speculation is that the Boston Bruins granted Marchand’s request to go to Florida and took less to make it happen, but a better offer might have gotten the veteran at a salary-retained rate.
Perhaps John Gibson – who reportedly was open to a trade to Edmonton – could have been acquired with a retained salary and the help of a third team. It’s unlikely Gibson will remain with the Anaheim Ducks after the season.
The Oilers kicked tires on Ryan Donato, with the Chicago Blackhawks ultimately choosing not to trade him, and they’ll work to sign Donato to an extension. If the right offer was made, could the Oilers have acquired the $2 million forward for their top six?
Pius Suter was potentially available from the Vancouver Canucks at the deadline. There are reports that he might be testing the market as a UFA, which would have made him an interesting rental at $1.6 million. He is a solid penalty killer and a good fill-in for the top six if a team needs to move up from the top nine. He’s got 24 goals and 45 points this season.
Knowing there was no guarantee that any of these players were realistically available, the Oilers didn’t really have much of an opportunity to make a pitch, considering they had some of the money tied up in a player the team probably shouldn’t have added in the first place.
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