Report: Former All-Star John Klingberg Aiming for NHL Comeback in New Year

It's been well over a year since defenseman John Klingberg has appeared in an NHL game. But he isn't done yet, according to a report from insider Elliotte Friedman.

Klingberg had serious hip surgery last year, but the 32-year-old has taken his cue on regaining his health from another player who recently underwent the same injury trouble, per Friedman:

Sometime just after Christmas, he's going to resume skating with a junior team. He has had the hip surgery that Patrick Kane did, he's skating with the same people that brought Kane back, and he does want to resume his career.
He's looking to potentially join a team after Christmas, probably closer to the end of January. But he's going to join a junior team first to skate and is hoping to come back to the NHL.

Klingberg was signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer of 2023 to a one-year, $4.15-million free agent contract, but he was only able to play 14 games before his hip problem became untenable. He also had double-hip surgery back in 2014.

The offensive D-man struggled with the Leafs, likely largely due to his physical issues, registering only 5 assists in 14 games, with a plus/minus of -7 while playing 20:33 average ice time a night.

Klingberg spent the first eight years of his NHL career with the Dallas Stars, where he racked up several impressive seasons as a playmaker, and made an All-Star appearance in 2018. He was a Top-6 finisher for the Norris Trophy twice.

He split the 2022-23 season between the Anaheim Ducks and the Minnesota Wild.