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John Klingberg

Minnesota Wild To Acquire John Klingberg

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The Minnesota Wild have made a last-minute trade, acquiring defenseman John Klingberg from the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks are receiving defenseman Andrej Sustr, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and the rights to 2019 sixth-round pick Nikita Nesterenko.

The Ducks are also retaining 50% of Klingberg’s $7MM cap hit. Sustr will report to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, according to a team announcement. The Wild have sent Dakota Mermis to the AHL in a corresponding move.

Notable regarding Nesterenko is the fact that, per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, there “has been talk in recent weeks” that Nesterenko wasn’t planning on signing with the Wild upon the completion of his NCAA career.

While the Wild should undoubtedly be excited to add a player with such an extensive resume at such a minor cost, this trade serves as a stark reminder of just how far Klingberg’s stock has fallen from where it was just a year ago. A year ago, Klingberg was putting the finishing touches on a platform season he would finish with 47 points in 74 games. He was set to hit the free agent market as one of its top defenders and was widely expected to receive a pricey long-term pact from a defense-needy team.

That deal never materialized, though, leading to Klingberg’s one-year, $7MM deal with the Ducks. Implied with that signing was that the Ducks would explore trade possibilities for Klingberg, potentially receiving a significant compensation package were he to find success next to stars like Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras on the team’s power play. That success did not come, and Klingberg instead has had a nightmarish season in Anaheim.

Klingberg’s numbers have taken a major hit, as he has scored just 24 points in 50 games. His fit on their power play never quite clicked, and his overall perception leaguewide began to shift from “dynamic two-way contributor with an offensive bent” to “one-dimensional offensive defenseman with some defensive issues.” Fair or unfair, that shifting perception severely hurt Klingberg’s value, and can help explain why he net his team just a fourth-rounder and the rights to an NCAA prospect when just a year ago he earned a $7MM annual guarantee.

For the Ducks, this is a trade that is likely to be disappointing given what Klingberg likely would have returned were he healthy, although it’s still better than nothing as Klingberg was unlikely to be in their long-term plans anyway. They get to add another draft pick for their building process, a depth defender who played 23 games for them last season, and the rights to a prospect they’ll hope to be able to sign. For what it’s worth, the 21-year-old Nesterenko has produced quite well this season, scoring 11 goals and 30 points in 32 games for Boston College.

For the Wild, they add a talented puck-moving defenseman who just a year ago was considered a quality offensive defenseman. While his stock has undoubtedly declined, it’s easy to see him as an upgrade over the veteran offensive defenseman the team currently employs: Alex Goligoski. While this move may cut into the opportunities puck-moving rookie Calen Addison receives, it would not be a shock whatsoever for Klingberg to improve his form in Minnesota and help them secure a playoff spot.

While this trade won’t solve the Wild’s most glaring issue — a lack of quality top-six centers — it does give them a solid bounce-back candidate to work with and is overall a trade with a chance to pop.

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun was first on the deal, while The Athletic’s Joe Smith was first on the trade details. 

Deadline Notes: Trade Bait, Oilers, Bjork

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After a whirlwind start to the trade deadline, TSN has released a new and improved trade bait list leading up to the last day of action. Shortly thereafter, number seven on the list, Max Domi, appears headed to the Dallas Stars. Pending unrestricted free agents on the list include James van Riemsdyk, Dmitry Kulikov, and John Klingberg, among others. Notably, there are a couple of Vancouver Canucks still on the board, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser, both with term remaining on their contract.

Although many contending teams have already improved, these players could still provide reasonable depth for a playoff pursuit. Because the activity leading up to the deadline has been hectic, many might think that tomorrow’s activity will not live up to recent years’ official deadline day. However, with the ensuing arms race seemingly across the entirety of the league, teams could still look to push themselves even further over the edge.

Other notes:

  • After adding Mattias Ekholm and Nick Bjugstad, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic reports the Oilers appear finished with their deadline activity. Adding a bonafide top-four defenseman, as well as making their bottom six harder to play against, the Oilers addressed two large needs this trade deadline. Already employing the sport’s most dynamic duo in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, this looks to be the group the Oilers will take into the playoffs. After losing to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final last year, the door is wide open in the west for the Oilers to go to their first Stanley Cup Final since the 2005-06 season.
  • Earlier today, disgruntled forward Anders Bjork was traded by the Buffalo Sabres to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations. As the future came to pass, both teams announced that forward Carson Gicewicz will be sent from the Rockford IceHogs to the Rochester Americans, thus completing the trade. In his second full season in the AHL, Gicewicz has scored six points in 43 games this year.

Anaheim Ducks To Scratch John Klingberg, Dmitry Kulikov

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With less than 48 hours until the NHL trade deadline, the Anaheim Ducks are bubble-wrapping their best assets. The team will not dress John Klingberg or Dmitry Kulikov tonight, but Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports that a deal does not appear imminent.

Klingberg, 30, was expected to be one of the deadline’s darlings this year, after signing a one-year, $7MM contract with the Ducks expressly to flip him to a contender. Unfortunately, things have been disastrous this season for Klingberg on an Anaheim team trying to get the best draft lottery position possible.

Through 47 games, the veteran defenseman had just 20 points and was pulling the puck out of his own net on a regular basis. Luckily, for the Ducks at least, he recorded four points in his last three games, and looked a bit more like the elite puck-mover he was as a young player for the Dallas Stars.

Perhaps they can turn that recent showcase into something good, as they almost certainly will retain half his contract to get the best asset possible.

On the other hand, Kulikov already comes at a reduced price after signing a two-year contract with the Minnesota Wild in 2021 that carries a cap hit of just $2.25MM. At this point in his career, the 32-year-old is a more traditional stay-at-home defenseman, though there were early years with the Florida Panthers when he ran a powerplay.

He has 15 points in 61 games but is the epitome of “deadline depth,” given his 866 games of experience, physical play, and relatively low cost.

Injury Updates: Klingberg, Henrique, Blackwood, Ekman-Larsson, Armia, Mantha

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The Anaheim Ducks have announced that defenseman John Klingberg is out with a lower-body injury. There was no word on whether his status was considered day-to-day or something longer, though the team noted that Nathan Beaulieu would be drawing into the lineup in Klingberg’s place. While this development won’t have any impact on the Ducks’ long-gone playoff hopes, it could have an impact on the trade deadline. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that this is not an instance of a team holding a player out of the lineup for trade-related reasons, as we have seen teams do with other blueliners such as Jakob Chychrun and Vladislav Gavrikov.

While Klingberg, 30, has had a nightmarish season in Anaheim (22 points in 48 games, down in scoring pace from 47 in 74 last season) he’s still a well-regarded offensive defenseman. Just last summer he earned a $7MM one-year deal, and it’s likely that there would be teams interested in acquiring him at the deadline. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta links Klingberg with the Edmonton Oilers’ search for defensive help at the deadline, and it’s likely that there would be more than just Edmonton looking to add him to their team. Assuming that’s the case, interested teams will likely want to monitor his health status closely due to this news. In addition to Klingberg, the Ducks also announced that Adam Henrique would be leaving the game with an injury, which could be another injury development with trade deadline implications.

  • New Jersey Devils netminder Mackenzie Blackwood is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, reports NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. Starter Vitek Vanecek will retain the lion’s share of Devils starts in Blackwood’s absence. Blackwood will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer and will hope to get this injury behind him and improve on his current .900 save percentage in order to put himself in the best position possible for summer contract negotiations.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have announced that defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been placed on injured reserve. It was previously reported that Ekman-Larsson would miss several weeks with an ankle injury, and now the Canucks have made that reality official on their roster, as they’ve placed Ekman-Larsson on the injured list. With him out, the Canucks are turning to Riley Stillman and Christian Wolanin on the left side of their defense, and will now have an extra spot on the 23-man roster to work with.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have announced that forward Joel Armia has left tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils. He left the bench relatively early in the first period, and at the moment it’s unclear the exact nature of what knocked him out of the game. Armia has had a difficult season, with just eleven points in 31 games. He’s had games where he’s looked quite good, but those games have been met with far longer stretches where he’s faded into the background of games. With the Canadiens already ravaged by injuries, they’ll have to hope that this new injury is a relatively minor one.
  • The Washington Capitals have announced that forward Anthony Mantha has an upper-body injury, and will not return to tonight’s game. It’s been a rough season for Mantha and a difficult adjustment in Washington overall. Mantha has scored nine goals and 24 points in 53 games this season and is being outscored by two of the team’s bargain-bin veteran signings, Erik Gustafsson and Marcus Johansson. Hopefully, this injury proves to be just a minor setback so Matha can quickly return to the ice and work towards ending his season on the right foot.

West Notes: Chychrun, Clarke, Klingberg, Kahkonen

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Last night, the Coyotes made waves when they revealed that defenseman Jakob Chychrun was being sat for trade-related reasons.  No immediate word came through about the likely destination for the 24-year-old but Sportsnet 590’s Nick Kypreos reports (Twitter link) that the Kings are now viewed as the team that’s likely to land the blueliner which would certainly give their back end a significant boost as they continue to jockey for position in the very tight Pacific Division.

Arizona has long been seeking a package of three first-round picks (players or comparable prospects) and Kypreos notes that defenseman Brandt Clarke is likely to be included should a deal be completed.  The 19-year-old was the eighth overall pick in 2021 and made his NHL debut this season, getting into nine games with Los Angeles before being sent back to OHL Barrie where he has been dominant with 26 points in 14 games.  If the trade does go through, he’d immediately become their top defensive prospect.

More from the Western Conference:

  • The Ducks announced (Twitter link) prior to their game against Vegas that defenseman John Klingberg was scratched due to illness. The veteran has been a bit more productive lately, picking up nine points in 15 games in 2023 but has still underwhelmed with 20 points in 45 games on the season.  Klingberg is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $7MM AAV and is widely expected to be traded over the next few weeks.
  • After not having James Reimer available due to illness, the Sharks’ goalie depth got tested further today in their victory against Washington. Prior to the third period, the team announced (Twitter link) that Kaapo Kahkonen suffered an injury and he did not return.  Washington center Evgeny Kuznetsov’s shoulder made contact with Kahkonen’s head and while the team didn’t provide any specifics about the injury, it could be inferred that he is in concussion protocol.

Injury Notes: Bennett, Jarry, Golden Knights, Backstrom, Klingberg

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Unfortunately, there’s a lot of minor injury news to report from tonight’s games. We start in Florida, where head coach Paul Maurice said pregame that Sam Bennett wouldn’t be in the lineup when they take on the Penguins tonight.

Bennett took an awkward fall in yesterday night’s loss to the Rangers, immediately leaving the game and staying in the room through the first intermission. It didn’t hold him out of the rest of the game, however, as he would later return. While he won’t suit up tonight, it does seem to be a short-term absence for Bennett, who’s been in and out of the lineup over the past month with some minor injury concerns. Eetu Luostarinen, who’s impressed with 10 goals and 22 points in 49 games this year, slides into the top six with Bennett out.

  • After leaving injured reserve a few days ago, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry is back out of the lineup with an injury. His absence leaves both Pittsburgh and Florida without backup goalies on the bench for tonight’s game, as Spencer Knight was unexpectedly still unable to play and was a late absence from the Florida lineup. It’s hopefully a short-term absence for Jarry, who’s been spectacular with a .921 save percentage in 27 appearances for the Penguins this year.
  • There’s some positive news on Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, says ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. While he’ll be out through the All-Star break as expected, his back issue is different than the one that plagued him throughout last season, greatly reducing the likelihood of his long-term career being affected. Kaplan also says defenseman Shea Theodore, who’s been out since early December with an undisclosed injury, is an option for Friday’s game against the Rangers.
  • Days after returning from significant hip surgery recovery, Nicklas Backstrom is back out of the Washington Capitals lineup with a non-COVID illness and is day-to-day. The 35-year-old has three assists in seven games since returning to the lineup.
  • The Anaheim Ducks will also be down a player due to illness: defenseman John Klingberg. 25-year-old call-up Colton White moves into Anaheim’s top-four in Klingberg’s absence, playing on his off-side. Klingberg has just 15 points in 40 games this season, a career-low as he’s destined for free agency once again this offseason.

Pacific Notes: Klingberg, Gregor, Skinner

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The Ducks are believed to be seeking a first-round pick for defenseman John Klingberg, reports Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link).  The 30-year-old didn’t get the long-term contract he was hoping for in the summer so he instead opted for a one-year, $7MM pillow deal with Anaheim to try to rebuild his value.  However, it has been a tough season thus far for the veteran as he has just 13 points in 35 games so far with his new squad, by far the lowest point-per-game average of his career.  Klingberg’s deal moved from a full no-trade clause to a ten-team clause at the start of this month although with a high price tag on the cap and a high acquisition cost, that trade protection isn’t likely to be the hold-up in any potential move unless Klingberg is able to become more of the offensive threat that he was over eight years in Dallas.

More from the Pacific:

  • Sharks winger Noah Gregor will be a healthy scratch for the eighth straight game tonight and he voiced some frustration to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, feeling that there should be more communication coming from the coaching staff as to what they’re expecting from him. It has been a tough year for the 24-year-old; after putting up 23 points in 63 games last season, he has just two goals in 19 contests in 2022-23 while seeing his ice time drop by nearly three minutes per night.  The team has added several depth players up front dating back to the summer and that has created much more of a competition for playing time.  Gregor is eligible for a conditioning stint but noted that he hasn’t discussed that option with the team right now, stating that his focus is simply on getting back into the NHL lineup.
  • Stuart Skinner’s personal leave is likely to be extended a little longer than expected as Sportsnet’s Mark Spector relays (Twitter link) that his wife has not yet given birth. Accordingly, it’s looking less likely that he’ll be able to rejoin the Oilers for tomorrow’s game in Vegas.  Jack Campbell could start both ends of the back-to-back or AHL recall Calvin Pickard could see his first NHL action of the season.

Injury Notes: Avalanche, Rielly, Klingberg, Stone

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If the playoffs began today, the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Colorado Avalanche, would be on the outside looking in. Colorado’s fall isn’t for a lack of talent and granted, losing Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky to free agency wasn’t exactly helpful, but instead the primary issues seem to fall squarely on injuries. The team has lost more than it’s fair share of man games to injury as they approach the one-third mark of the season and just when things couldn’t seem to get worse, Nathan MacKinnon was ruled out for four weeks.

There could be some help coming soon though, reports Brennan Vogt of Colorado Hockey Now, who spoke with Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar during his media availability earlier today. According to Bednar, forwards Darren Helm and Valeri Nichushkin could be available to play in tomorrow’s game. Nichushkin, one of the team’s premier players, was off to a blistering start with 12 points in seven games before an injury sidelined him for 17 games. Helm, a veteran utility player, has yet to suit up for Colorado this year, but given the injuries the team has dealt with, getting his versatile presence back in the lineup could pay bigger dividends than it might seem. Also of note, Bednar disclosed that forward Artturi Lehkonen, who was injured in Colorado’s game on Saturday, is currently going through concussion protocol.

  • During today’s Leafs Lunch radio program on TSN Radio, Sports Illustrated’s David Alter called in to discuss a number of Toronto Maple Leafs notes, including the status of injured defenseman Morgan Rielly. Alter acknowledged an earlier report by TSN’s Darren Dreger, who believed Rielly’s timeline to be somewhere around four-to-six weeks, but added that when he caught up with Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas recently, Toronto’s timeline was only to the extent of the LTIR minimum duration: 24 days and 10 games. Alter adds that Rielly, who has been working out with the team, has not yet resumed skating and thus the earliest return date from LTIR, which would be on December 17th, seems very unlikely. Rielly has been dealing with an MCL injury suffered in a collision with New York Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri, who was also injured on the play, back on November 21st.
  • The Athletic’s Eric Stephens writes that Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Klingberg will return to the lineup tomorrow after missing the previous seven games with a lower-body injury. Much like his Ducks, Klingberg has struggled to start this year. The offensive-minded defenseman has recorded just eight points in 20 games thus far to go with a -12 rating, which itself isn’t too out-of-line compared to his recent seasons. Klingberg had signed a one-year, $7MM deal with Anaheim this offseason with the idea that he could be dealt to a contender at the trade deadline perhaps, and test the free agent market again next summer, two things which are still on the table most likely.
  • Vegas Golden Knights winger Mark Stone was notably absent from practice today, however as Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports, this was simply a maintenance day. These sorts of absences are normal throughout the NHL, especially for veterans and players who are recently back from injury or dealing with a nagging issue, but given the extent of Stone’s recent injuries and his unrelenting style of play, it makes sense that an absence even like this one would sound an alarm for some. Since returning full-time for Vegas, Stone is back to his old ways, chipping in 21 points in 28 games to go with stellar defense.

Ducks Activate Derek Grant Off Injured Reserve, Place Max Comtois On IR

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The Ducks will have a bit of extra help up front as they get set to take on Seattle tonight.  Lisa Dillman of the Orange County Register reports (Twitter link) that center Derek Grant has been activated off injured reserve and will suit up against the Kraken.  He’ll take the place of rookie winger Pavol Regenda.

The 32-year-old has been out for a little over three weeks due to an upper-body injury.  Prior to sustaining it, Grant had played in 11 games, picking up a goal and an assist while logging heavy minutes shorthanded; his 2:39 of ice time per game in that situation is second among Anaheim forwards behind only Jakob Silfverberg.

A pending unrestricted free agent, Grant is the type of depth forward that tends to be moved closer to the trade deadline as someone that can kill penalties, play both down the middle and on the wing, and is affordable on the cap (he carries a $1.5MM AAV).  With the Ducks appearing to be well on the path towards selling over the next few months, Grant figures to be on the move at some point but he’ll give Anaheim a boost in the bottom six in the meantime now that he’s healthy.

It’s not all good news on the injury front for the Ducks, however, as Dillman also notes that blueliner John Klingberg will miss his second straight game due to a lower-body injury.  It has been a tough start to the season for the veteran who was looking to rebuild some value after not getting the type of contract he was seeking in free agency last summer.  Instead, he has just one goal in 20 games and will be out of the lineup a little longer.

Meanwhile, the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Max Comtois has been placed on injured reserve.  He has been out for the last two weeks due to a lower-body injury which allows Anaheim to backdate the placement.  Accordingly, he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s healthy.  Comtois has four goals in 15 games so far this season.

Pacific Notes: Oilers, Sharks, Canucks’ LTIR Situation

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While the Oilers have been busy this summer between re-signing their free agents and bringing in a new starter in Jack Campbell, they took a run at landing one of the big fish on the open market as well.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that Edmonton was hoping to work out a sign-and-trade to pick up John Klingberg with the veteran signing with a team that would have then immediately moved him with retention to help on the salary cap front.  Montreal was believed to be a possibility as a team that would have facilitated the move.  While that one obviously won’t happen (Klingberg signed with Anaheim last month), it’s a sign that GM Ken Holland is still looking to upgrade his back end.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • There remains no date set for the resumption of Evander Kane’s grievance hearing, relays Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). The Sharks terminated Kane’s deal last season citing a breach of contract, permitting him to become an unrestricted free agent.  He signed with the Oilers for the stretch run and then inked a four-year, $20.5MM deal before free agency began to stay there but it remains to be seen what would happen if his original contract (which still had three years left at a $7MM AAV) was to be reinstated as a result of the grievance.
  • In a separate tweet, Pashelka notes that discussions are ongoing between the team and RFA forward Jonah Gadjovich. The 23-year-old is San Jose’s last restricted free agent and is coming off a year that saw him pick up just three points in 43 games.  The Sharks tendered him a two-way qualifying offer worth just under $875K last month but Gadjovich might be willing to sign for less than that in exchange for a one-way contract.
  • Thomas Drance of The Athletic examines (subscription link) some of the challenges that the Canucks will be facing in order to place Micheal Ferland on in-season LTIR in 2022-23. While Vancouver has several waiver-exempt players, their performance bonuses make the simplest idea of papering them down for a day not practical.  Accordingly, they might have to waive some roster players late in training camp to make the finances work.  Offseason LTIR is an option but most teams prefer to avoid that route and make an in-season placement but that will be a bit of a challenge for them.

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