On December 6th, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving announced that defenseman John Klingberg would undergo hip surgery to repair the lingering issues he had been dealing with throughout the season and that Klingberg would be out indefinitely.
Nearly two months have now passed, and yesterday on TSN's Insider Trading, Chris Johnston provided the first update on Klingberg's status since being placed on LTIR in early December.
Johnston noted that Klingberg underwent successful bilateral hip surgery earlier this month in New York and has recently begun rehabbing in the hopes of making a return to the NHL next season. Additionally, Johnston stated that his timeline to sign a contract next season would likely fall into the same one as Patrick Kane, who signed a couple of months into this season with the Detroit Red Wings.
The signing of Klingberg by Treliving in early July led to lots of criticism and as the season progressed, his health continued to deteriorate, ultimately leading to the mid-season surgery. In 14 games with the Leafs before being shutdown for the season, Klingberg registered just five assists and was a minus-7 as he struggled mightily defensively.
Obviously, the outlook for Klingberg in Toronto is still the same. He will not return at any point this season, nor in the playoffs. Mark this one down as a failed attempt to revive an aging veteran's career despite serious injury concerns. Granted, the issue isn't a big one for the Leafs, who have all the money in the world to be able to pay someone like Klingberg without batting an eyelash.
