The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman John Klingberg to a one-year contract worth $4.15 million.
Another defender is off the market.
The Toronto Maple Leafs fleshed out their right side on Saturday, agreeing to terms with defenseman John Klingberg on a one-year contract worth $4.15 million.
Klingberg arrives in Toronto as one of the most one-dimensional players in the entire NHL. The 30-year-old is a fantastic puck-mover from the back end, producing elite numbers in the offensive zone while being capable of quarterbacking any team's power-play unit. Klingberg finished with 10 goals and 32 assists for 33 points in 67 games for the Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild in 2022-23, logging upwards of 20 minutes in average nightly ice time.
The downside with Klingberg, though, is that his offensive gifts are countered by his glaring defensive deficiencies. In fact, Klingberg was one of the worst defensemen in the league last season in his own zone, limiting his overall effectiveness and making sheltered usage a requirement for Klingberg to be even remotely useful.
While the Maple Leafs do need a puck-moving defender on the right side, paying $4.15 million for someone with the limitations of Klingberg is definitely a choice, and represents another move in a somewhat underwhelming start to free agency for new GM Brad Treliving.