Yahoo Sports John Klingberg Is Great Fit For The Oilers
EDMONTON -- The best things in life are free.
Laughter, love, and time spent with those close to you are all free things we enjoy. But in the hockey world, nothing is ever free.
The Edmonton Oilers know this better than anyone. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl weren't free. They resulted from years of terrible play followed by unbelievable luck (and great scouting).
Despite free agents literally having "free" as a descriptor of them, they still cost money. But in the case of new Oilers defender John Klingberg, that's money well spent.
My co-editor recently wrote that the Oilers' interest in Klingberg wasn't rational. Here's my argument for why the deal makes perfect sense.
Oilers Don't Give Up Asset
As I mentioned above, free agents cost money, and luckily for the Oilers (and every other team), that is all they cost.
Because a team does not give up an asset to acquire a free agent, the salary of the player often increases. The Oilers experienced this with the signing bonus given to Klingberg. It was prorated and counted as more money against the salary cap.
However, the actual salary he is paid is actually less because the season is half over.
Regardless of the money spent on Klingberg, the main takeaway is that the Oilers did not lose a player, pick, or prospect in acquiring him. That's a win on any day of the week.
Klingberg to Edmonton
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 17, 2025
Oilers Have Had A Rotation On Defense
The Oilers have had a rotating cast of characters as the team's sixth defender. Troy Stecher, Josh Brown, Travis Dermott (before he was claimed off of waivers), and Ty Emberson have all been vying for the final roster position.
Emberson has established himself as a mainstay on the roster. However, Brown and Stecher have not. Their ice time has fluctuated, and neither has claimed an everyday position.
Because of this, adding a veteran with 600+ games of experience makes a lot of sense. While Cody Ceci wasn't the best defender on the team, at least he played a consistent role with consistent minutes. Kris Knoblauch hasn't had that with the defense group this season.
Coaching Staff Can Get A Lot Out Of Klingberg
Whenever the Oilers defenders speak about the influence of assistant coach Paul Coffey, one common point is always raised: an emphasis on making plays.
Klingberg has great puck skills and is a good skater. He is a six-time 40+ point defender. He adds a lot of firepower to the Oilers' backend.
I don't suspect the Oilers would use him regularly on the penalty kill, but he could take over Darnell Nurse or Mattias Ekholm's spot on the second-unit powerplay. A shrewd coaching decision would be to utilize him primarily for offensive zone faceoffs.
Pairing him with a defensively sound left-handed partner would best fit him. Nurse, Ekholm, or Brett Kulak would all be great partners for Klingberg. Nurse might be the best fit out of all three of them.
Ultimately, this signing is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Oilers. Klingberg could work out great, and the Oilers could focus elsewhere at the trade deadline. It could be a move that fails spectacularly, causing the Oilers to acquire another defender in March.
Or, it could be an average move, which would still prompt the team to shop for blueline help before the deadline.
Either way, the Oilers will find out just how much of a good thing this (free) guy is.
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