Report: Klingberg Likely To Never Play Again For Maple Leafs

 

It only took 14 games for John Klingberg to become the whipping boy of Toronto Maple Leafs fans, but things have taken an even more unfortunate turn for one of the team's free agent signings this offseason, as a lingering injury has kept him out of several games. The Leafs have been giving out no information about Klingberg's status, and things, in fact, might be even worse than we've been led to believe.

On TSN 1050 Radio Thursday morning, hockey analyst and former Leafs winger Mike Johnson had an ominous take on Klingberg's future in Toronto. Asked if he felt the beleaguered blueliner would ever play again for the Leafs, he responded:

No, he will not play again... Last week, when it came out that he was scratched and he said it was something he's been dealing with his whole career, my spidey senses started going off because we know how these things go. He's not healthy obviously... (and) there is a contractual unwinding that would be optimal for the Leafs...  But for everyone saying, 'they're making this up, it's not a real thing': I was on the plane with him (from Sweden), we walked together—he's hurt, you can see it when he walks...  

He absolutely is in distress. So I would say it's far more likely than not that he doesn't play again. 

Klingberg, 31, has undergone hip surgery twice in his career, and it seems very likely that's what he's dealing with here. He hasn't played since Nov. 11, when he tried to come back after a game absence. 

He's now officially been placed on LTIR by the Leafs, and they'll have to determine the next steps. This gives Toronto a little short-term cap relief, but if Klingberg comes back to play, they'll have to do more roster and contract shuffling to accommodate it. Klingberg owns a $4M cap hit. 

Klingberg had five assists, and was a minus-7 in his 14 games.

 Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports