The Anaheim Ducks made a major addition to their blue line a couple of weeks ago, signing free agent John Klingberg. The deal is for a single year and is worth $7 million.
Klingberg just turned 30 years old and had spent his entire career with the Dallas Stars, prior to signing with the Ducks. This past season, the defender scored six goals and 47 points in 74 games.
It was somewhat of an unexpected addition for the Ducks, despite the fact that the move makes a lot of sense. Anaheim has made an effort to become more competitive right away with some notable additions this offseason, but it seemed more likely Klingberg would be able to get a long-term deal elsewhere.
The defenseman should bring high-end offense and can be counted on for around 50-55 points per 82 games. He’ll play a big role on the Ducks’ power play, after averaging nearly three minutes per game on the man advantage with the Stars last season and scoring 20 of his 47 points on the power play.
A one-year deal for Klingberg is a no-risk move for the Ducks with the potential for huge upside. Anaheim’s blue line is extremely thin after dealing away Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson at the trade deadline, so we knew they needed to make some moves. Committing to Klingberg long-term wouldn’t have made sense either, given he’s now 30 years old and the Ducks likely aren’t a playoff team right now.
Adding Klingberg does go a long way in helping Anaheim’s defense group right away but they’ll also have the option to get back some major assets for him at the deadline. If Anaheim retains half his salary in a deal, they could possibly bring back a first-round pick and potentially an additional pick or a decent prospect.
It’s a perfect move for Anaheim, which should allow Jamie Drysdale to play more sheltered minutes as he continues to develop as well. Klingberg helps to fill a need for the Ducks and while he's unlikely to be a long-term fit, the team should be able to flip him for future assets at the deadline, in order to continue building for the future.