NHL Veteran of 10 Years Looks to Make NHL Comeback, With The Chicago Blackhawks?
According to Elliotte Friedman of the 32 Thoughts and Sportsnet, John Klingberg a former Maple Leafs and stars defenseman appears to be ready to come back to the NHL to resume his career after undergoing invasive surgery on his hips.
He signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Maple Leafs last season and had high hopes along with the organization that he would become a cornerstone for their power play.
But it was clear by December 2023 that he was unable to continue playing hockey due to his disability and he had season ending hip surgery.
Since then, he has been working on his physical abilities and feels ready to return to the NHL. Friedman reported that Klingberg is signing with a junior team to continue his rehab and prepare for potential teams that may be interested in signing him.
If his game appears to be sound and his physical abilities are good as well, the Blackhawks may want to look at him as a potential signing at a very low cost.
His textbook shot from the point and ability to get points on the power play would be a huge benefit for the Blackhawks let alone the leadership and experience that he would bring to this young team.
It's safe to say that general manager Kyle Davidson would need extensive scouting to see if he is able to fulfill the role and likely he would take a prorated league minimum deal of $775,000 to show that he could play again and play for more money later.
It remains to be seen on whether Davidson would be interested but Klingberg certainly would be on the radar if all works out in the end. He is a right-handed shot
which is what many teams covet as they are very difficult to find.
As the holiday season comes to an end and the NHL resumes its schedule, the Blackhawks are on the road against the lowly Buffalo Sabres as the game will take place on December 27th and game time will be 7:00 PM Eastern.
