Oilers Would Be Better Off Signing DeAngelo Than Klingberg

In the past few days, it has become abundantly clear that the Edmonton Oilers have serious interest in John Klingberg. The 32-year-old is attempting an NHL comeback after undergoing a hip resurfacing procedure over a year ago. He appeared in just 14 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023-24 and was playing at less than 100 percent.

The intrigue around Klingberg makes sense, as he was once one of the better offensive defencemen in the game. He’s also a right-hand shot, which is likely a big part of why the Oilers are showing so much interest. That said, Klingberg appeared to be well past his prime in his final few seasons, and taking him on now after such a big surgery doesn’t make a lot of sense. If they prefer to go the free-agent route to improve their back end, there’s another right-handed, free-agent option who would be a better fit.

DeAngelo Back on Free-Agent Market

Tony DeAngelo doesn’t need an introduction. The extremely polarizing blueliner did not find an NHL deal this summer and chose to head to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) to continue his playing career. His offensive skill was on display with SKA St. Petersburg, as he recorded 32 points in 34 games. He is no longer with the team, however, as the two sides parted ways earlier in the week.

St. Petersburg cited family reasons for why DeAngelo was headed back to North America. That, of course, will need to be sorted out first, but if and when he is ready to go, he would be a good free-agent signing for the Oilers. Not only does DeAngelo have far less injury history than Klingberg, but he’s also far less rusty. As mentioned, he’s already logged 34 KHL games this season and suited up for 31 regular-season games in 2023-24 with the Carolina Hurricanes, along with an additional nine in the playoffs.

DeAngelo has also had far better production in recent years than Klingberg. He recorded 42 points on a bad Philadelphia Flyers team in 2022-23 and had 51 in 64 games the season before that with the Hurricanes. His best season to date came in 2019-20 when he scored 15 goals and 53 points in 68 games with the New York Rangers.

DeAngelo Not a Perfect Player

It’s important to note that DeAngelo is not a perfect solution, evidenced by the fact that he was forced to head overseas to continue his playing career. While he is offensively gifted, his play in the defensive zone, similar to Klingberg’s, is lacking.

Another concern with DeAngelo is his character. He’s had a checkered past, which has included some problematic and distracting social media posts, along with a well-noted incident with Alexandar Georgiev that resulted in his time with the Rangers coming to an end. However, the Oilers have some history of working with players whose reputation hasn’t always been great.