3 Canadian Teams Interested in John Klingberg, Closing in on NHL Return

We heard last month that veteran free agent defenseman John Klingberg was hoping to make an NHL comeback after being out for well over a year following hip surgery. It appears that his return is getting closer, and according to a report from insider Darren Dreger, three Canadian teams are among those that have already expressed interest.

John Klingberg is closing in on resuming his NHL career. Toronto, Ottawa and Edmonton among the teams with expressed interest. A decision expected in next 2 weeks. Klingberg had hip resurfacing surgery in 2023 and has worked hard to get to this point. 5-7 teams in the mix.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) January 14, 2025

The Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Edmonton Oilers are the interested parties north of the border.

Klingberg, who played 14 games for the Leafs last season before undergoing the surgery, has been working out in Toronto to get back into NHL condition.

Dreger reports that "five to seven teams are in the mix", and that a decision on where he'll sign is expected in the next two weeks.

Klingberg's time with the Leafs did not go particularly well, as the offensive defenseman registered five points in his 14 games, with a plus/minus rating of minus-7. He did average over 20 minutes of ice time. It's obvious he was laboring from the hip issue during that period.

But it makes sense that GM Brad Treliving would be interested in giving him another shot, now that he's presumably healthy.

The Senators, as noted by insider Frank Seravalli, have been looking to improve their third pairing on the blueline, likely to replace Travis Hamonic. But looking at trade options, "the defense market isn’t teeming with third-pair guys at manageable acquisition costs." Signing Klingberg could be the solution.

It's expected that he will sign a pro-rated one-year deal worth about $1 million.

As for the Oilers, they've been looking for another defenseman to plug into their lineup all season.

Dreger reports that the Vancouver Canucks also "kicked the tires" on Klingberg, but don't seem as interested as the others.

The 32-year-old is a 10-year NHL veteran, with 412 points in 633 games, with 748 blocked shots. He's averaged 22:41 of ice time throughout his career.