The San Jose Sharks needed to spend some money in NHL Free Agency to reach the cap floor. They have yet to splash the cash in a major way in the early going. However, they did make a shrewd move to sign former Edmonton Oilers defenseman John Klingberg to a one-year contract.
Klingberg signed with the Oilers last season after spending time away from the game. The veteran defender suffered major injuries that impacted his play. He saw his production decline in a major way, and bounced around the league on three different teams before getting surgery.
Klingberg played better than many expected with Edmonton this year. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he was again surprisingly effective. Edmonto played him in their top-four on the blueline, and he played a part in the Oilers winning the Western Conference for the second season in a row.
However, the 32-year-old has not played a ton of games over the years. In fact, he has played just 92 games since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign. As a result, there are still questions over his ability to play at a high level. This played a role in his decision to join a team like San Jose.
“It’s a great opportunity to come to a younger team, a team that wants to get better, and if I look at myself, I need to play games. I haven’t played many games in the last two years, except for in the playoffs. And I think coming to San Jose is a big opportunity for me to to get better and prove that I can still play hockey and play big minutes as well,” the new Sharks defenseman said, via team beat reporter Curtis Pashelka.
“I think that was one of the key things, knowing that I would get the chance to play (big) minutes, not just being in the lineup but actually play minutes.”
How John Klingberg Fits Sharks Lineup
Steph Chambers/Getty ImagesJohn Klingberg joins the San Jose Sharks after a brief stint with the Edmonton Oilers.
If Klingberg placed an importance on a large role in NHL Free Agency, the Sharks are a good fit. San Jose needs help on its back end. Especially on the right side of the blueline.
As of now, Klingberg projects as the team’s second pairing right defenseman. But he theoretically could move up the lineup as needed. San Jose’s current depth at right defense is Timothy Liljegren, Vincent Desharnais, and restricted free agent Jack Thompson.
Klingberg should have more than enough chances to prove himself in San Jose. And he could offer valuable experience to a young team looking to grow together toward contention. In a sense, it’s a near-perfect fit between player and team need.
Klingberg Pushes Back on Rebuild Narrative
Outsider observers of the Sharks would likely share some general thoughts. San Jose is a young team with an incredibly bright future ahead of itself. However, they are still working through their long and arduous rebuild.
Klingberg sees things differently. He acknowledges the team is still building for the future. But he believes they are out of the rebuilding phase and are in between that and contention status.
“I think they’re done the rebuild, and now they’re probably just building. They have all the assets there, so that’s very exciting,” Klingberg said, via Pashelka.
San Jose is hoping Klingberg’s assessment is true. Moreover, they hope he can help them take this next step toward contention. It will certainly be interesting to see if he can help San Jose take that step in 2025-26.
New Sharks Defenseman Eager to Prove Himself in San Jose