The logical assumption is that a healthy and effective John Klingberg will be great for whichever defenseman he plays beside on the Edmonton Oilers. Speculation is that it will be Darnell Nurse. While an effective Klingberg and Nurse pairing could be massive for the Oilers, one source close to the team believes it will be another Oiler that Klingberg might impact most — Leon Draisaitl.
Bob Stauffer was a guest on Spittin’ Chiclets and talked about what Klingberg means for the Oilers if he plays as well in games as he looks in practice since signing with the team. Stauffer said that Klingberg looks extremely fluid and quick. He seemed light and mobile, which Stauffer argued the Oilers could use more than a shutdown big body on the blue line. The reason Klingberg might be the ideal fit is because he can move the puck.
Stauffer noted that when Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm are at their best, they’re underlying analytics with Connor McDavid are really strong. That’s because McDavid has a puck mover and a stable blueliner to get him the puck on the fly. Stauffer wonders if Klingberg could be that defenseman for Draisaitl.
“Well the one thing Klingberg can do is he can transition the puck. He can get it up the ice by letting the puck do the work. That’s what forwards want. I’m telling you right now those defensemen, when they can get the puck up the ice and hit you in stride so you can beat the defenseman wide, I mean and that’s what Klingberg can do.”
KlingBerg Could Be The Blueliner Draisaitl Needs
Draisaitl has been missing that defenseman when he’s not on the same line as McDavid. The Oilers’ captain gets the top pair on his line most often. Draisaitl gets the secondary forwards and second-pairing defensemen. A duo of Nurse and Klingberg are as good as many team’s top pair and Klingberg has elite puck-moving skills. If he can hit Draisaitl on the fly, that could ramp up Draisaitl’s game.
What’s wild is that Draisaitl is already having a stellar season. Giving him another tool in his toolbox, like Klingberg, could be scary for opponents. One of the strengths of Draisaitl’s game is his ability to slow the game down and shield the puck, holding off defenders. That said, he’s sneaky fast. If he can access that part of his game and Klingberg can help unlock it, Stauffer hints the combination could be huge for Edmonton.
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