Buffalo Sabres Free Agency: John Klingberg should be their top target

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams intends to bring in a veteran defenseman to team with Owen Power. And John Klingberg would be a perfect fit. 

It is all but a done deal that longtime Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg will hit free agency and he should be on the Buffalo Sabres radar the second it opens on July 13th. Klingberg, an RHD, continues to show a phenomenal two-way game, with 47 points (six goals) in 74 games last season.

He also logged 55 blocks and 57 hits, the latter of which served as a career-high. His number of blocks were also his highest since 2018-19. And since Klingberg will only be 30 by the time the 2022-23 NHL Season rolls around, he remains in the midst of his prime.

What makes John Klingberg a great fit for the Buffalo Sabres?

Klingberg earned a spot on the 2014-15 All-Rookie Team, and he contended for the Calder Memorial Trophy that season. His success as a rookie and eight seasons of NHL experience makes the UFA an ideal mentor for Owen Power.

He would also step into the Buffalo Sabres defensive rotation as the group’s oldest puzzle piece, allowing him to emerge as a leader. Klingberg, because he plays a two-way game, would also give the Sabres yet another scoring threat from the blue line, something All-Star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin emerged into last season.

Klingberg played on an AAV of $4.25 million per season over the past seven years, and he will demand a substantial pay raise, probably between the $6 to $7 million mark. And while this would ordinarily would appear to be out of general manager Kevyn Adams’ price range, Klingberg makes for the worthier investment.

One reason I can see Adams forking up the cash here is the value Klingberg adds to both mentoring Power and the entire defensive rotation. And since he is also a solid two-way player, it adds immense value to his game.

Expect the Sabres to make a run at an RHD regardless of whether they sign Klingberg. But if they are looking for a proven defenseman who is still young enough to give them a few seasons on the second pairing, John Klingberg should be their top target.

(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)