Buffalo Sabres: John Klingberg Is Worth Pursuing in Free Agency

Free agent defenseman John Klingberg is still looking for a home. The 30-year-old from Gothenburg, Sweden is one of the premier pieces still without a team for next season, and it is a wonder why he is available almost two weeks after free agency opened. One team he could end up signing with his the Buffalo Sabres.

Klingberg, drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2010 with the 131st pick in the 5th round, is still one of the best offensive defensemen out there, regardless of his age. He had spent his entire career with Dallas, but now it appears he will have a new team to call home in the 2022-23 season.

Last season with the Stars, Klingberg had 6 goals and 41 assists for 47 points in 74 games, bringing his career totals to 71 goals and 303 assists for 374 points in 552 games. In 59 career playoff games, he has 7 goals and 28 assists for 35 points.

He does supply defense as well, blocking 649 shots and contributing 361 hits in his career. He is a 200-foot defenseman that relies heavily on his offense, earning him a trip to the 2018 NHL all-star game. Where does Klingberg end up next season?

One team that could have a serious shot at this service is the Buffalo Sabres, who have $19.6 million left in cap space left to spend this off-season. With Rasmus Dahlin being the Sabre’s number one defenseman, Klingberg could play second fiddle to Dahlin so there would be less pressure and he could simply play his game.

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Buffalo has a young defensive core and Klingberg could add his veteran leadership to be a mentor to the young defenders. Klingberg has playoff experience also and that could come in handy as the Sabres begin to turn the corner in hopes of a playoff berth this season.

Klingberg can also help the special teams as well. He has a cannon of a shot, great vision, and exceptional passing skills on offense. On defense, he sacrifices his body to block shots and lay out opposing forwards. The Sabres have a power play % of just 21.1% and a penalty kill ratio of 76.4%.

With Klingberg being 30 years old he may not be looking for a long-term contract. He earned just under $5 million in his last deal, so he could be looking in the neighborhood of $7-8 million with no longer than a 5-year deal.