Klingberg has three assists in 10 games this postseason for the Oilers, and is averaging 19:14 of ice time, playing alongside Jake Walman.
The two have been among Edmonton’s most consistent defensive pairing in the playoffs and will start Game 1 against Dallas alongside each other.
The Oilers took a gamble on Klingberg and are now seeing it pay off.
Signed as a depth defenseman Jan. 17, he was limited to 11 games this season and missed 20 of the final 21 games with a foot injury sustained blocking a shot in a 6-2 loss against the Anaheim Ducks on March 4.
Klingberg played in a 6-1 loss at the Seattle Kraken on March 27, but the foot developed an infection and he did not return until Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round against the Los Angeles Kings on April 23.
Now the Oilers would not dare take him out of the lineup.
“We knew he was a good player, that’s why we signed him, we knew he could help us,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “What was unknown was his health. You can have all the reports and medical expertise tell us how he’s going to feel, how he’s going to respond on the ice, but until you see it and then his confidence to play his game the way he’s comfortable doing, there is uncertainty.
“We knew he was a good player, whether it was all going to fit, time was going to tell and obviously it’s something that’s worked out well for us.”
Klingberg had gone 13 months without playing, still recovering from hip surgery when signed by Edmonton.
The chronic problems with both hips affected his play with the Ducks, Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs after leaving Dallas following the 2021-22 season. He made his Oilers debut in a 3-2 overtime loss against the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 30, and played 10 of 11 games prior to his foot injury.
“I wasn’t surprised he has been able to play this well, we just weren’t sure how quickly he would get to his game, and it took some time,” Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said. “He was a good player here in Dallas for a long time. You don’t really lose your ability. A lot of the things that John does well, they’re instinctive, you don’t really lose that over time, but you do need your body to be able to cooperate to be able to do what you want to do and I think he’s gotten to that point now and he’s been a nice player for us.”
Klingberg said he feels as healthy as he has in years, dating back to his time in Dallas when his hips started to bother him.
It continues to be a work in progress, but he is now at the point where he could play an important role in helping Edmonton get back to the Stanley Cup Final, losing in seven games to the Florida Panthers last season.
The Oilers are looking to get past the Stars in the conference final for the second consecutive season.
“I’m super excited, they’re a really good team,” Klingberg said. “They been a good team for many years and under [coach Pete DeBoer] I think they took it to another level. They’re in the conference final for the third year in a row and that speaks for itself. They’re right there, we’re right there, it’s going to be a challenge, it’s going to be a test. It’s really exciting for sure, it’s going to be fun.”
And while he is now on the other side, Klingberg’s former teammates are happy to see him back on the ice.
“As friends, we know what he's been through,” Dallas forward Jamie Benn said. “He's put in a lot of hard work to get back to where he is. It’s good to see him back out there on the ice. And, you know, I can't wait to try and run him.”
NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers contributed to this report
