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John Klingberg return to Oilers lineup delayed due to off-ice issue
Photo credit: Edmonton Oilers Raw
The Edmonton Oilers are eagerly awaiting the addition of defenceman John Klingberg to their lineup, but unfortunately an immigration issue is holding up his return to play.
Klingberg was expected to make his debut for the Oilers this week against the Detroit Red Wings, but it appears his debut will be pushed back.
John Klingberg return to NHL with Edmonton Oilers delayed due to off ice problem
It's unfortunate that Klingberg's return will be held up at all, because he only has a few weeks before the trade deadline to prove himself in the Oilers lineup. David Staples of the Edmonton Journal noted that Klingberg's return could be pushed back quite a while.
This is the first time we've heard that immigration issues have popped up for John Klingberg, a rare occurrence for an NHL player but not unheard of. One would hope that it's resolved rapidly It's almost certainly just a hiccup, but it does sound like it's delayed the timeline of Klingberg's debut with the Oilers.
-David Staples
-David Staples
With a more optimistic take, Oilers reporter Daniel Nugent-Bowman suggested Klingberg's issue could get resolved before his expected return against Detroit, but could get pushed no later than a week.
Again, this delay will be significant because Klingberg is being asked to prove himself to be a top four defenceman again with only a few weeks until the trade deadline, when the Oilers could make another trade if he doesn't work out. There's a significant break too, with the 4 Nations Faceoff.
In his prime, Klingberg was considered one of the premier offensive defenceman in the NHL. In 633 career games he's recorded an impressive
Hopefully Klingberg is able to get this issue resolved fairly quickly, and is able to get into the lineup as soon as possible. As a mid-season free agent signing, he could be a major piece for the Oilers playoff success this year.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 27 | 341 ANSWERS John Klingberg return to Oilers lineup delayed due to off-ice issue Do you think the Oilers will need to trade for another defenceman, or can Klingberg be their top 4 player? | ||
| Klingberg is good | 203 | 59.5 % |
| Need more | 138 | 40.5 % |
| List of polls | ||