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Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg is one of the biggest names on the free agent market. And he remains unsigned after about a week or so.
Klingberg is one of the better offensive defensemen in the league. He helped the Stars make the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals, but they fell just short. He has scored 374 points in 553 career games. And he has added 35 points in 59 career playoff games.
The soon-to-be 30-year-old brings leadership, an offensive touch from the point, and the ability to quarterback any team's power play.
However, he is not great defensively. And that might be scaring a few teams away. The former Dallas Star also seems to have ruled out a one-year deal. Reports indicate he will only sign a multi-year contract.
With that in mind, let's take a look at three teams that would be smart fits for Klingberg. What can they offer him, and how would he fit them.
John Klingberg: 3 best landing spots after first week of NHL free agency
The NHL's youngest franchise is no stranger to taking on big-name defensemen that command a huge salary. They selected Mark Giordano in last year's expansion draft.
The Kraken traded Giordano at the trade deadline, creating the need for another top-pairing defenseman. The team has the cap space to acquire Klingberg's services as well.
Seattle has a very promising future. They have two potential superstar center icemen in Matty Beniers and Shane Wright. Bringing in a veteran like Klingberg to help facilitate play from the point would be huge for them.
The soon-to-be 30-year-old would likely take on a lot of responsibility in the short term. Klingberg can handle it, and as the team gets better, they can ease him into a reduced role as he gets older.
Seattle doesn't have the rich history a lot of teams have. And they aren't the best team ever. Despite that, they are on the come up, and Klingberg can play a major role in helping them along.
The Red Wings signed two defensemen on the first day of free agency, so they may not be the most obvious fit. However, they can still use an upgrade offensively, and that's where Klingberg comes in.
A Dylan Larkin extension won't kick in until next offseason, so Detroit's $11 million in cap space won't be touched by that. And their remaining restricted free agents shouldn't put too much of a dent in that figure either.
Klingberg would likely fit in on the Red Wings' second pairing. He would potentially skate with new Red Wing Olli Maatta, who signed a one-year deal on the 13th.
The question for the Red Wings is term. General manager Steve Yzerman doesn't like to give out long-term contracts. In fact, the only free-agent contract Yzerman has given out as Detroit GM that was longer than three years is the five-year pact given to Andrew Copp at the beginning of free agency.
Yzerman was the busiest person in the NHL on Wednesday, and can still add a premium player to his lineup. He clearly wants to make his team more competitive. Adding Klingberg could help put them squarely in the playoff hunt.
If there's any team that has had a better offseason than the Red Wings, it's the Ottawa Senators. Like their Atlantic Division counterparts, the Sens have completely overhauled their team.
They acquired perennial 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat before the NHL Draft for three draft picks. They signed former longtime Philadelphia Flyer Claude Giroux. And they brought in Cam Talbot to replace the now departed Matt Murray.
Klingberg likely wants to be a top-four defenseman, and the Sens would provide that opportunity. They have sought a defenseman this offseason but didn't bring one in.
Klingberg being signed to a multi-year deal also helps Ottawa in the future. The only defenseman signed past next season are Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot.
Chabot is a clear top-two guy for Ottawa. Sanderson, however, was drafted in 2020. And asking him to take on a lot of responsibility so soon could be detrimental to his development.
Klingberg can come in and take a lot of the responsibility off of the young defenseman. He would give Ottawa another somewhat long-term option moving forward. Barring another huge deal, signing Klingberg wouldn't hinder Ottawa's attempts to sign Sanderson to an extension.
Klingberg can help facilitate play for Ottawa's dangerous-looking top-six. He can help feed DeBrincat, Giroux, Josh Norris, Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Drake Batherson. He can put those guys in a position to put home their chances, both on even strength and on the power play.
Ottawa wants to push for the playoffs, and adding Klingberg could legitimately take them into playoff contender status.
