Jeff Marek of Sportsnet tweeted earlier that the two front runners for unrestricted free agent defenseman John Klingberg are the Carolina Hurricanes and the Seattle Kraken. If the Hurricanes are going to be fighting the NHL’s newest franchise for someone that has supposedly been on their radar for a long time, this could be an interesting summer.
Another defenceman to watch today is John Klingberg. Both Seattle and Detroit have various levels of interest but Carolina (as EF has reported) is probably in the best position to offer what he's looking for. Carolina has been around Klingberg at various times all season.
— Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) July 13, 2022
Carolina is not an organization that splashes money around for the sake of handing out money. It is an organization that will spend to the cap but with a clear idea of what they want to achieve and a way to do it without overextending. With that said, we know the Hurricanes are seeking more blueline help and Klingberg is someone that they do not have to give anything up to sign.
Klingberg was someone that the Hurricanes had been rumored to be examining when the NHL trade deadline came and went so it is no surprise that when he hits the open market, the Hurricanes again are one of the teams that are seeking his services. Klingberg is rumored to want around the $7 million mark, and it is unlikely Carolina will pay him that however.
This feels like a case of just getting on with it already. Carolina has been around this player forever and with rumors that this player wants to come to Raleigh, and now is in control of his future, it isn’t too far-fetched to suggest that he could find himself in Carolina. We know that Klingberg is a good player and he would be a more than ideal replacement for the player that departed at the draft.
In 74 games this year, Klingberg put up 6 goals and 41 assists for 47 points on a Dallas team that had one scoring line. That is not bad at all in a system that basically strangled his ability to produce. If you can get him in Carolina with a free-flowing system and a partner who is going to cover his defensive instabilities from time to time, I think this is a situation that might work if the player and organization both want it.