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Dallas Stars Daily Links: John Klingberg And The Contract Year

Posted on by Kathleen Tibbetts

The waiting is the hardest part. Dallas Stars fans are jonesing not just for NHL action, but for news about whether John Klingberg will re-sign or move on.

It’s a knotty problem. Klingberg is poised to enter a free-agent market in which elite NHL defenders are making stupid money. At the same time, he will be 30 when his next deal begins, which could make maximum term a very big ask from any team. What can we expect from a true superstar as he plays for the biggest payoff of his career?

Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika has shared some stats, and thoughts, in a new post. First things first: Expect Klinger to stay on the first power-play unit, where he has been a dangerous weapon for years:

Klingberg continues to lead the first power-play unit and typically gets 15 seconds more per game in power-play time than [Miro] Heiskanen. He also had 17 power-play points to 11 for Heiskanen last season, so his role with the man advantage is pretty secure. With the return to health of Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov, the Stars could have one of the best power plays in the league, so Klingberg should benefit from that.

One thing that could definitely change is Klingberg’s defense partner, thanks to the presence of Ryan Suter in the team’s presumptive top four:

With the addition of Suter, the Stars are pondering a shuffle on defense, and that could mean Klingberg would move away from his typical partner [Esa] Lindell and possibly beside Suter. That could change the dynamic of the game for Klingberg and could be another thing that helps him produce more points.

There’s more at Mike’s place. [Dallas Stars]

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