Insider reveals that Klingberg was actually plan B for the Leafs and identifies who plan A was
When free agency opened on July 1st, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving quickly signed John Klingberg to a 1-year deal worth $4.15M for the 2023-24 season. Klingberg's first couple of games in the blue and white were alright, but unfortunately, after the game against the Minnesota Wild, Klingberg has been on a downward spiral that looks to be sending him to the press box for Friday's game.
When the Leafs signed Klingberg, many noted that he was not the typical type of defenseman Brad Treliving usually looks to sign and on today's Leafs Morning Take, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed that he was not Treliving's first choice.
"I think the guy they really wanted on July first was Dumba. They were in on him. Klingberg came in at $4.15M. Dumba ended up in Arizona for $3.9M, but I think at the time, he was high in the 5's. I think Toronto really wanted him and they couldn't get the deal done because they couldn't fit Dumba where he wanted to be. It's hard not to look at that right now, and Dumba is not perfect, but he's a passionate guy and Minnesota went out and got Bogosian yesterday, he's not Dumba but he's a loud, physical presence and that's what Dumba was. I would be curious to see if it looked different if Dumba was here, but I do know he was the guy they talked to, he was the guy he wanted, but they couldn't fit him in for what he was asking."
Dumba signed his 1-year, $3.9M deal with Arizona this summer and Leaf fans immediately questioned why Treliving didn't sign him instead of Klingberg. Now, we understand why, but it makes it sting a little more knowing that had the Leafs been patient, they could have had their guy and we wouldn't have to watch Klingberg trip over his own two feet on a nightly basis.
Sometimes the old adage, "patience is a virtue" still holds true, and this was one of those times. Not only do the Leafs have to find a way to use Klingberg effectively now without having him set foot in his own zone, but Treliving may even look to move him and add another defenseman at the cost of prospects and draft picks, neither of which the Leafs have in large supply.
Previously on Maple Leafs Daily
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 9 | 334 ANSWERS Insider reveals that Klingberg was actually plan B for the Leafs and identifies who plan A was Knowing what we know now, have you lost faith in Brad Treliving? | ||
| Yes | 174 | 52.1 % |
| No | 160 | 47.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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