The Edmonton Oilers made some noise last week, signing John Klingberg to a one-year contract. The 32-year-old was limited to just 14 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs a season ago before undergoing a hip resurfacing procedure, similar to the operation Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane had following the 2022-23 season.
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Klingberg has yet to suit up for the Oilers as he adjusts to his new roots, but he is expected to get into the lineup at some point next week. We can’t know what type of player he will be following a major procedure, though he is adamant that this is the best he’s felt in some time.
“I feel incredible. I have way more motion. No pain anymore, which is exciting,” Klingberg told reporters on Monday. “I feel great, and I’m very happy to be here now.”
No player is going to tell the media they feel terrible, but Klingberg’s confidence has Oilers fans excited. His debut is much-anticipated and will give a better indication as to what he has left to provide. If he resembles anything close to the player he was with the Dallas Stars, he could be in line for a major opportunity.
Bouchard is Struggling
Evan Bouchard entered the 2024-25 season with huge expectations. The 25-year-old was coming off a phenomenal season of 18 goals and 82 points in 81 games, good for fifth in Norris Trophy voting. He followed that up with an even better playoff of 32 points in 25 games. Some thought he could flirt with the 100-point mark this season.
Instead, Bouchard has been just OK, sitting with eight goals and 35 points through 47 games. Those totals are not bad but less than expected. The Oilers power play, which has been on top of the league the past few years, ranks eighth at 23.9 percent, and his play is a big reason why.
The team is loaded with offensive weapons capable of much more. It makes for an interesting debate on whether or not head coach Kris Knoblauch should consider tinkering with his top unit, which plays most of the two minutes of every opportunity they are handed.
In his prime, few defencemen could quarterback a power play better than Klingberg. He doesn’t have the booming shot that Bouchard possesses but found ways to sneak quick and deceptive wrist shots through traffic that would either beat goalies clean or set up great opportunities for rebounds. He’s hit the double-digit marker in goals four times in his career and had a career-high 67 points in 2017-18. He also managed it on a power-play unit that wasn’t nearly as strong as the Oilers. We have to wonder what he is capable of on such a talented team, assuming he is fully healthy.
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Although many want to see Bouchard remain on the top unit, there is no harm in giving Klingberg a look at some point in the coming weeks. If it doesn’t work out, Bouchard will return to the unit, but Klingberg’s specialty is the power play. They brought him in for the remainder of the season; why not give him a shot to see what he can do?
Klingberg an Intriguing Signing
There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical about signing Klingberg. He’s coming off a major injury and didn’t look very good in the final few seasons before undergoing his procedure. That said, if he is as healthy as he believes himself to be, he gives the Oilers yet another great source of offence and could wind up being a major addition to an already very talented group.
