The Toronto Maple Leafs were relatively quiet on the first day of NHL free agency, but they made a solid move later in the first afternoon when defenseman John Klingberg agreed to a one-year deal with Toronto.

Klingberg split the 2022-23 season between the Anaheim Ducks and the Minnesota Wild after a long run with the Dallas Stars. The right-shot defenseman struggled in the first part of the season with the Ducks, who fell out of playoff contention early in the year. That seemed to have an impact on Klingberg's game, as he struggled to play effectively.

Klingberg scored 8 goals and 16 assists in  50 games with the Ducks, but he was minus-28 during his time in Anaheim. After moving on to the Wild, Klingberg seemed to be much more committed and involved with his new team's game plan. He scored 2 goals and 8 assists in 17 games, and delivered a plus-3 rating.

The Leafs are known for their offense and that should fit in with Klingberg's game. However, they have regularly struggled to play consistent defense and that makes the Klingberg signing somewhat questionable. If opponents sense any kind of defensive shortcoming in his game, they should be able to take advantage of the weakness.

John Klingberg has been one of the NHL's most consistent offensive forces from the blue line throughout the majority of his 9-year career. He has reached double figure in goals scored six times in his career. He had a career high 67 points in 2017-18 with the Stars when he potted 8 goals and added 59 assists.

Klingberg has made the All-Star Game once in his career and he made the All-Rookie team in the 2014-15 season.