New York's coming defensive changes have gripped the control of the rumors surrounding this franchise. Will Borgen and Urho Vaakanainen have been two of the changes on that front as the Blueshirts continue looking for defensive answers. There's been some growth from K'Andre Miller alongside Borgen, but the Blueshirts are still unhappy with other parts of the defense, leading to a trip to the rumor mill regarding an older statesman of the NHL who is looking for a new NHL contract.
Swedish defenseman John Klingberg is looking for a new home. He underwent hip resurfacing surgery in 2023 and is now gearing up to return to the NHL. With several teams interested and the Rangers desperate for a fix to the team's back end, this may seem like a fit for the Blueshirts. But is it as cut and dry as it looks? Klingberg had a lot of flaws when he was healthy, so is this a good mesh for both team and player?
When he was one of the league's dominant forces as a member of the Dallas Stars, Klingberg struggled in his own zone. It took him manning the top powerplay unit to get the level of production that made him a Norris Trophy candidate during his time in the Lone Star State. When it comes to New York, he won't get that chance. Adam Fox is one of the best defensemen in the game; you cannot shift him off the powerplay for a dude who hasn't played hockey in over a year.
Could he succeed in the Erik Gustafsson role from last year, where he played on the bottom pairing and tried to supplement his production with powerplay time? Probably. New York's second powerplay unit leaves much to be desired, but this runs into another problem. Klingberg is a right-handed shot, so who does he come in for: Braden Schneider, Will Borgen, or Adam Fox? The answer is none of those, and he can't be played on his offside, so there isn't a fit here.
Teams will swarm around Klingberg for the nepotism. His name alone will sell jerseys in many places, but the Rangers know that this is a bad fit for the organization. While he'll likely find a new home, the Rangers should be avoiding him like the plague. Unless it's something like a league minimum contract the Rangers can flip at the deadline if everything goes to pot, then maybe it is worth considering, but by and large, this would be a bad bet by the Blueshirts.