John Klingberg, D
Former Sharks veteran defenseman John Klingberg finds himself an unrestricted free agent after San Jose drastically reshaped their blue line this summer. Klingberg is searching for his sixth team in this past five years after playing 56 games for the Sharks last season.
While the Kings would mainly be looking for a left-shot defenseman this offseason, Klingberg still fills some key needs on the blue line for Los Angeles going into the upcoming season. He's a playmaking defenseman with a great shot and the ability to make an impact on special teams on the power play from the point.
This past season with the Sharks, Klingberg scored double-digit goals, including five markers on special teams on the power play (leading all San Jose defensemen). That was Klingberg's most productive season in the last three years offensively.
Klingberg is limited defensively, but his offensive upside could be exactly what the Kings need to boost their production from the point this upcoming season. His offensive skill set on special teams could also help to improve the Kings power play unit, which ranked 28th in the NHL this past regular season.
The clear concern with Klingberg is what the Kings would be giving up defensively by putting him in the roster lineup. But if he were to sign on a low-cost, short-term contract, the Kings wouldn't necessarily need him to handle difficult defensive assignments consistently. His value would mostly come from moving the puck, generating offense from the point, and potentially giving the power play unit another weapon.
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