One of the biggest defensemen on the trade market has been moved at the last minute.
The Anaheim Ducks have traded defenseman John Klingberg to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Andrej Sustr, a 2025 fourth-round pick and the rights to college prospect Nikita Nesterenko.
Klingberg signed a one-year deal worth $7 million over the summer in a deal designed to give Anaheim a key trade piece.
Klingberg, 30, is having a bit of a down season for the Ducks. Despite playing heavy minutes, Klingberg has just 24 points in 50 games in a year that was meant to help boost his trade value. Klingberg started his career strong in 2014-15 with 11 goals and 40 points before putting up 58 and 49 points over the next two seasons, respectively. He then hit the jackpot with a 67-point effort in a non-playoff season in 2017-18 in the third year of his seven-season deal paying $4.25 million per season.
The Swedish-born defenseman has had a few solid seasons in the meantime but hasn’t managed to hit the 50-point mark again. He also has struggled to play a full season ever since, but when he’s good, he’s good enough to get the job done.
Klingberg will be a big boost for a blueline that currently has Jared Spurgeon, Mathew Dumba, Calen Addison and Jacob Middleton, among others. The Wild sit second in the Central Division, three points behind Dallas and three ahead of Colorado. The Wild should be able to hold onto a playoff spot in the Central, and adding Klingberg will give them some nice added offensive punch on the blueline – both at 5-on-5 and the power play.
Sustr, 32, previously played for Anaheim in 2018-19 and 2021-22 with five points in 28 games over those seasons. A physical defenseman, Sustr has 12 points in 39 AHL games this season.
The Anaheim Ducks sit 30th in the NHL, one point ahead of Chicago and two above the bottom-feeding Columbus Blue Jackets. The Ducks have missed young defenseman Jamie Drysdale for most of the season, while the rest of the team has struggled to score. The Ducks have allowed the most goals this season with 255 and their minus-97 goal-differential is last in the league.
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