Two years ago, Edmonton Oilers defenceman John Klingberg underwent season-ending hip surgery. Now, he’s a key component in an Oilers defense corps playing in its second consecutive Stanley Cup Final.
Before signing a one-year deal with the Oilers in January, Klingberg’s last NHL game was on November 11th, 2023, playing in just the 14th game of his one-year, $4.15 million dollar deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to TSN.ca.
In his brief stint with the blue and white, Klingberg had a plus-minus of -7 with five lone assists before undergoing resurfacing surgery on both of his hips. A procedure two of his current and past competitors went through themselves.
“I did a lot of research before I ultimately decided to do it and (Patrick) Kane was a big piece of that, to reach out to him, but also Nicklas Backstrom and there’s a few other guys that have done the same surgery back home in Sweden that have played on it for a few years as well,” Klingberg said three days after signing with Edmonton, per NHL.com's Derek Van Diest.
It’s probably no coincidence that Klingberg reached out to Kane, a player who’s made a name for himself through his elite offensive game, just like Klingberg.
“A big part of my game is possession, playing with the puck and creating offence, but also I want to be reliable on the defensive side as well, and I haven’t been over the last few years.”
Shades of No. 3
Now, a year and six months after going under the knife, Klingberg is making up for lost time as he’s bringing the offensive touch he’s had since joining the league back in 2014 to one of the best offensive pairings these playoffs.
When looking at pairings that have logged at least 70 minutes together these playoffs, the Jake Walman-Klingberg tandem ranks third in the expected goals per 60 minutes department with a 3.53 tally, according to MoneyPuck.com. It’s a pairing that’s played 66 more minutes than any other duo of defenceman for the Oilers these playoffs.
It’s a pairing that had Edmonton’s best 5-on-5 expected goals percentage (66.34) in Game 1 of the Finals.
The only problem with having two offensive-oriented defencemen on the same pairing is that you most likely pay for it in your defensive zone. Walman and Klingberg have the team’s fourth-worst expected goals against per 60 minutes mark this post-season, and they backed up that stat by being out of position on this play in Game 2.
It’s a trade-off you’re willing to pay if you’re the Oilers, because the way that both Klingberg and Walman have handled the puck in their own zone these playoffs has been the key to Edmonton’s high-powered offence. It’s allowed the Oilers to generate quick transitions through the neutral zone.
The tandem’s ability to move the puck up the ice has to be something Oilers defence coach and three-time Norris Trophy winner Paul Coffey envisioned when he first paired them up in Game 2 of Round 1.
Klingberg is far removed from his 67-point days with the Dallas Stars, but there’s no denying that he’s now playing the most meaningful hockey of his career for a team that’s utilized him in the best way possible, in what has to be one of the better comeback stories of these playoffs.
