Drama fills each hockey season. The Dallas Stars are no strangers to that drama. Rumors surrounded defenseman John Klingberg all season long about a trade. Now there are talks about a contract extension. Klingberg took the brunt of the dismay whenever things went bad this season. His -17 needs lots of improvement. His recent performance in Montreal has those eager traders questioning. Klingberg may stay in Dallas after the trade deadline on Monday and that’s a good thing.
UFA After Season
Klingberg is a UFA upon the conclusion of this season. Previous rumors over the last few days hint at a contract extension. There is the money issue. The Stars have none in available cap space. Hockey is unpredictable but there is one certainty. Alexander Radulov is playing his final season in Dallas. They can’t afford him, Klingberg, and Robertson.
$$$
Cap Space Problems arise if they want to re-sign Klingberg. The most important thing is signing Jason Robertson to an extension. He is the future of this franchise and an RFA at the end of the season. Extending his contract is the top priority. Cap space is tight if Jim Nill wants to sign both Robertson and Klingberg.
Klingberg doubled his goal total for the whole year in one game. He played hero Thursday night in Montreal. He got out of the funk scoring the game-tying goal and overtime-winner. Klingberg has struggled all year long. Could this be the final stepping stone to getting the fly out of the ointment?
Best Defenseman in Team History?
Stars fans love to remember the powerhouse in Sergei Zubov. Klingberg exceeds some of his offensive stats while playing in over 300 fewer games. Klingberg is remarkable on the blue line over the past several years. It’s only recently that his play is in doubt. He is still capable of laying down the “Klinghammer.” His 21 game-winning goals in best by a defenseman in franchise history.
Having both Klingberg and Joe Pavelski on next year’s team wasn’t expected. They both may be here next season. There is also the possibility that Klingberg moves at the deadline. Miro Heiskanen’s illness puts a strain on the blueline. The Stars need Klingberg competing at the level we’ve seen from him in the past. Going quiet at the deadline is possibly the best move. Only time will tell. We’ll know next week if the Stars are all-in for the Stanley Cup.
Photo Credit: Dallas Stars Twitter
