Leafs' Tough Roster Decision Pays Off as Former Defenseman Goes Down Again
The Toronto Maple Leafs may have dodged a huge bullet by not signing John Klingberg, who was placed back on the LTIR after another injury.
There was a lot of talk about potential names the Toronto Maple Leafs could bring in to shore up their defense. They managed to settle on Brandon Carlo at the trade deadline, and while it cost them Fraser Minten, so far the trade can be considered a win for the team.
But there was a point in time where the team was floating around the idea of signing former defenseman John Klingberg, who was working through some injury issues and was looking toward an NHL return.
He eventually settled with the Edmonton Oilers, who were looking to make sure their back end was deep enough for the playoffs. However, that may not be something he can help with, as the defenseman was placed on LTIR by the Oilers leading to questions about his future.
End Of The Line For John Klingberg?
It certainly isn't how Klingberg envisioned the season turning out, and while all the credit has to be given to him, much like Jani Hakanpaa in Toronto; it might be time to consider his life beyond hockey.
Appearing in 11 games since signing with the team in January, Klingberg recorded four points, and a plus/minus of zero. He wasn't as impactful as Edmonton had hoped and it might be a sign that his playing career may be done for.
At one point though, Klingberg was one of the NHL's premier offensive defensemen.
A 40-point rookie campaign then translated into one of the best stretches for a defender with a total of 219 points from 2015-2019 while also adding a ton of physicality and solid defense that didn't undermine his offensive capabilities.
He's far past those numbers now, and his best season since was in 2021-22, but injuries have since derailed his career heavily. He's only played 92 games over the last four years, and this latest injury is just another step back.
It sucks to hear the news about John Klingberg, as the former elite defenseman deserves a much better ending to his career. Though if anything positive can be taken out of this entire thing, is that Toronto didn't end up getting shot in the foot by signing him.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 10 | 445 ANSWERS Leafs' Tough Roster Decision Pays Off as Former Defenseman Goes Down Again Did Toronto dodge a bullet by refusing to sign John Klingberg? | ||
| Yes | 394 | 88.5 % |
| No | 51 | 11.5 % |
| List of polls | ||