The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenceman John Klingberg to a 1-year, $7,000,000 deal.
The contract signing and term is somewhat surprising as Klingberg had been in the NHL trade rumors mill all year long and reports had him seeking a long-term deal at a salary of $8 million/year.
Klingberg, 29, does have a no trade clause from the NHL season start to Jan 1, 2023 then turns into a 10 team no trade clause until the end of the season.
The no trade clause works out perfectly for Klingberg and Anaheim. Klingberg can get settled into the team without worrying about a trade in the first half of the NHL season.
If the Ducks are out of playoff contention in the second half of the season, Klingberg can get traded to a playoff contender and Anaheim gets some assets in a Klingberg trade.
Want to watch John Klingberg on TV? View the Ducks game tonight.
With the Klingberg contract signing, that leaves Nazem Kadri as the last big free agent left to be signed this offseason.
The Ducks still have over $18 million in salary cap space, which would allow the team to sign Kadri to a long-term deal. NHL rumors still have the Colorado Avalanche as his team of choice, with the Detroit Red Wings as another option.
