SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks have rotated a number of of their defensemen out and in of the lineup all season lengthy, and now it seems that veteran John Klingberg – after a tough few video games – will turn out to be the newest blueliner to sit.
Coming off back-to-back losses, the Sharks as soon as once more seem set to shake up their crowded protection corps, and indications have been that Klingberg can be a wholesome scratch for the primary time this season on Tuesday when San Jose hosts the Utah Mammoth.
Klingberg’s play has been inconsistent at greatest in current video games, as he was a mixed -4 with two giveaways in Sharks losses to the Calgary Flames and Seattle Kraken final week that wrapped up a 1-2-0 highway journey.
Klingberg has additionally run the purpose on the Sharks’ first energy play unit, with the staff mired in a 3-for-32 droop with the person benefit during the last 10 video games.
“I think it’s pretty clear,” Klingberg stated of the message he acquired from the Sharks’ teaching employees. “It’s up to me to play (well).”
Klingberg, now in his twelfth NHL season, was signed to a one-year, $4 million contract on July 1, partly to bolster a Sharks energy play that completed twenty sixth within the NHL final season at 18.6%. In 657 profession NHL video games, Klingberg has 23 objectives and 140 assists with the person benefit.
Klingberg has 5 factors, together with two power-play objectives, in 13 video games this season, and is averaging 21:04 in ice time. However in Monday’s apply, Klingberg watched as Dmitry Orlov ran the purpose on the primary energy play unit with rookie defenseman Sam Dickinson on the second. When Klingberg was out of the lineup from Oct. 17-26, the Sharks’ energy play, with Orlov on the helm, went 6-for-19 in six video games.
Whereas different components have been at play this season, the Sharks, after 19 video games, at the moment are nineteenth within the NHL on the facility play, with an 18.8% success price.
“I wouldn’t really say it’s totally the power play,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky stated when requested about Klingberg. “I think there’s better hockey in him 5-on-5, and we’re going to keep getting to it, and (we have) a lot of defensemen. So, there’ll be some changes.”
“I think just have a little bit better puck play,” Klingberg stated of his personal recreation. “Be more consistent with the puck.”
Saturday, on Seattle’s first purpose, which got here at even energy, Orlov bought caught within the impartial zone as Chandler Stephenson poked the puck forward to himself. He then bought round Klingberg contained in the blue line and despatched a move throughout the slot to Jaden Schwartz, who bought behind Macklin Celebrini and guided the puck into the web behind goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.
The Sharks have been the higher staff for giant parts of Saturday’s recreation, however that miscue and one other by Shakir Mukhamadullin proved to be an excessive amount of for them to beat.
“It happens fast,” Klingberg stated of the play. “It’s a little bit of a breakdown on our 1-1-3 (system), so I have to go out towards the boards. But at the same time, I can’t let (Stephenson) go behind me.”
Klingberg‘s lower-body damage that compelled him out of the lineup for shut to 2 weeks final month, however stated Monday he feels advantageous bodily, and indicated beforehand that his well being points had nothing to do with the double hip resurfacing surgical procedure he had in Dec. 2023.
It’s only a matter of taking part in higher inside the Sharks’ construction.
“I think with (Klingberg), there’s a process of where we need to get him to play the way we want to play,” Warsofsky stated. “It’s new to him, which I perceive, and within the methods and whatnot. Then, clearly, getting back from the well being points.
“With what type of defenseman he is, there’s a risk and reward, and a lot of teams have those types of players. But you have to get the reward, and we really haven’t got a lot of that. Will we get that at some point? I think we will. I think he’s got the ability. We’ve seen that in his career, but we need him to kind of just have a little bit of a reset here.”
It additionally seems that Timothy Liljegren will probably be a wholesome scratch on Tuesday, with Dickinson re-entering the lineup, because the Sharks attempt to maintain everybody recent.
“We want to keep guys in the mix here a little bit, not let guys sit out for a while,” Warsofsky stated. “We’ll see what (Tuesday) brings, but I know (Klingberg) knows he can play better, as we do.”
“It’s the same for everyone,” Klingberg stated of being a scratch. “You play your best team. If this is what they want to do, I’m still part of the team. I’m going to work my butt off to get back to the lineup and help this team win. That’s just how it works.”
