BURSTJohn Klingberg is not ready to hang up his skates just yet.
The veteran NHL defenceman has not played in more than 400 days since he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs but is looking to get back onto the ice.
“Sometime just after Christmas, he’s going to resume skating with a junior team,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported during Saturday Headlines on Hockey Night in Canada. “Now he has had the hip surgery that Patrick Kane did, he’s skating with the same people that brought Kane back, and he does want to resume his career.”
Klingberg appeared in just 14 games with the Leafs before being placed on long-term injured reserve. He signed a one-year, $4.15-million contract in free agency to add more offence from the blue line but struggled through the first two months of the season — with four assists and a minus-7 rating.
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The Swedish defenceman has had issues with his hip before having double hip surgery in 2014.
When it comes to when he could see himself in a position to sign with a team, Friedman explained that it could come at some point soon.
“He’s looking to potentially join a team after Christmas, probably closer to the end of January,” Friedman adds. “But he’s going to join a junior team first to skate and is hoping to come back to the NHL.”
News of Klingberg’s potential comeback comes just a few days after Matt Murray played his first NHL game in 629 games after dealing with double hip surgery.
