The Anaheim Ducks Sign D John Klingberg to a One-Year Deal

Per Kevin Weekes & profound Greek philosopher Socrates, the Anaheim Ducks are signing D John Klingberg to a one-year, ~$7 million contract. Or as I like to call it, the Taylor Hall special:

The signing is somewhat surprising, but maybe it shouldn't be. Klingberg's case is interesting. He is a right-shot offensive defenseman who has scored 374 points in 552 games for the Dallas Stars. He has also sported a -10 rating or worse the last three seasons; -28 in 2021-22. He's also 29, which is right in that sweet-spot of 'not-old, not-young' & 'too old to sign long-term,' so the one-year signing suggests that his list of offers didn't feature anything too enticing.

Anaheim isn't poised to be super-competitive in 2022-23, but they could prove to be a tough out on any given night. While they probably stay out of the playoffs, the acquisition of Klingberg gives them a 5v5 & powerplay threat to accompany Trevor Zegras & Troy Terry. Just don't expect much in the way of defense, although his personal defensive skillset might not be as bad as his numbers suggest. That said, the contrast between Klingberg (all offense, no defense) & the Dallas Stars (no offense, all defense) is striking. Ultimately, this signing is a mutually beneficial short-term arrangement in which Klingberg can earn a nice paycheck while selling himself for next summer. And the Ducks get a bonafide point-producer on their blueline, taking some of the burden off of budding star, D Jamie Drysdale.

The Ducks have also signed C Ryan Strome, Frank Vatrano & D Colton White. With $25.8 million in cap space before the Klingberg signing (which is yet to be officially announced), Anaheim is more so in a rebuild than anything, but I still don't see them being a pushover.

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