Defenseman John Klingberg Snubs the Maple Leafs, Signs With Canadian Rival
The Maple Leafs missed out on a golden opportunity to add some offensive punch and depth to their blueline as John Klingberg decided to sign with Canadian rival.
It has been 14 months since John Klingberg underwent bi-lateral hip surgery, but the former fifth-round pick resumed skating over the Christmas holidays and was finally looking to resume his career.
The 32-year-old joined the Leafs on a 1-year deal last off-season, but after just 14 games, he was forced to undergo surgery. Since he resumed skating and announced that he intended to resume his career, the Leafs had been considered a favourite to land the Swede.
In a piece for The Athletic, TSN's Chris Johnston revealed there were at least three other teams competing with the Leafs for his services, including the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers.
TSN's Bob McKenzie reported during the broadcast on Thursday night that Klingberg was expected to make a decision in the next 24 to 48 hours.
It ended up being far less than 24 hours as McKenzie's colleague Darren Dreger announced that Klingberg has signed with the Edmonton Oilers.
Although most Leafs fans aren't exactly upset over missing out on signing another injury-prone player, the Leafs missed an opportunity to add an offensive punch to their blueline for nothing but cap space.
Had they managed to add Klingberg, they could have immediately moved the assets they may have delegated to the blueline to their search for a center, allowing them to go after a higher valued player than the usual depth addition. Not to say it isn't or wasn't going to happen anyway, but it would have been a guarantee instead of a possibility.
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