Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg looks to be one of the biggest potential trade candidates ahead of this year's deadline.

Klingberg, who is 29 years old and has spent all eight seasons of his NHL career with the Stars, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. As a result, his contract status has been a consistent topic surrounding the team this season, with recent developments adding fuel to the fire.

At the start of the season, Klingberg was reportedly looking for a contract in the range of eight years and worth between $62 to $66 million, according to Sportnet's Jeff Marek. While a cap hit of between $7.75 million and $8.25 million is lower than a potential ask could've been based on some comparables, it seems as though the Stars may not be looking to pay it.

In Klingberg's media availability following the team's win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, the defenseman noted that while he wanted to sign a new deal with the Stars ahead of the season, things have gone quiet and he doesn't feel appreciated, based on the negotiations. Klingberg did say a report that he's asked for a trade isn't ‘entirely true', but after the comments, it's certainly clear that there's at least a strong possibility the two sides could be headed for a split.

If the Stars don't extend John Klingberg, the options now become either using him as a rental and letting him walk as a free agent, or the more likely option in trading him. The issue is the Stars are in the hunt for a playoff spot right now, sitting eighth in the Western Conference in points percentage.

If they deal Klingberg, those playoff chances drop. The Stars don't produce a ton of offense, sitting 19th in the league in goals for per game. Losing Klingberg is only going to amplify that, considering his 17 points in 28 games have him sitting tied for fifth on the team in points. He's a key part of the team's power play as well, which is what's keeping the Stars from being worse offensively, considering the team's power play ranks sixth in the league.

Then there are also the long-term impacts of losing Klingberg. He plays a key role in the team's top-four group and is surely going to be missed if he ends up moving on. Considering he's 29 years old, while the final few years of a potential long-term deal could hurt, he's likely still got a ways to go before a decline hits.

If Klingberg doesn't return, Dallas will certainly have the cap space to make trades or sign players in free agency. That said, the issue would be what moves do they make? It's possible they could find a cheaper replacement, like we saw with the Carolina Hurricanes bringing in Tony DeAngelo and Ethan Bear to offset the loss of Dougie Hamilton, but I wouldn't say that's a guarantee. John Klingberg remains a top-producing defenseman and it shouldn't be seen as a certainty that Dallas can manage to offset the loss by bringing in other players.

Plus, if the team is looking to compete, it seems counterproductive to deal away Klingberg, just to turn around and try to find a replacement. The Stars are in an interesting spot, where they have some really great young talent, with the likes of Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Jake Oettinger. However, they also have stars under contract who aren't producing but are taking up a huge portion of cap space. In order for the Stars to compete going forward, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin have to step up their games but without that happening, Dallas could be in a tricky spot. If Klingberg ends up being dealt, you have to think the the Stars' management also takes a step back to assess the team's position.

That said, the Stars will surely get back some quality future assets, should they choose to move Klingberg. A comparable could be Kevin Shattenkirk being dealt to the Washington Capitals at the deadline five years ago at about the same age, when he was also on an expiring contract. The Blues essentially ended up netting a first-round pick and a young roster player, which could be a realistic return for Klingberg.

While re-signing John Klingberg does seem like a decision that would make sense for the Stars, it also seems increasingly unlikely. The reality is that with uncertainty regarding Klingberg's future, the Stars will likely capitalize on the opportunity to get back some key pieces.

There's still over two months to go until the trade deadline, so it'll be interesting to see how things unfold leading up to the day. While it's still possible we could see an extension for John Klingberg in Dallas though, it looks like the defenseman could instead be the top prize available at the deadline, and the Stars could be left potentially looking to fill a major hole in their lineup this summer.