Season over: Leafs' Klingberg to undergo major surgery

Defenceman John Klingberg may have very well played his last game for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs announced today that Klingberg will be undergoing a season-ending surgery for his hip, with a recovery time expected of about five to six months, as per The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel.

Brad Treliving says John Klingberg will undergo season-ending hip surgery. Five-six month recovery.

— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) December 6, 2023

In 14 games this season, Klingberg has registered five assists in 20:33 of ice time per night, but he’s been on the ice for 19 goals against in the process, an average of 1.35 per night.

Having dealt with clearly lingering injury issues all year, Klingberg’s time in Toronto didn’t exactly go as he’d hoped.

Signing in Toronto on a one-year, $4.15 million deal, the 31-year-old defenceman has been on long-term injured reserve since November 23. Klingberg’s last game came on November 11.

While Klingberg travelled to his home country of Sweden in November to hopefully take part in the team’s games in Stockholm, he ultimately wasn’t able to return to playing shape.

“The John Klingberg situation is tough. He has tried to play through his injury; it’s not to say he won’t continue to, but obviously, the results haven’t been good. He can’t move as well on the ice as he once did when he had his best seasons; he doesn’t have a lot of security in terms of just being on a one-year deal with Toronto,” hockey insider Chris Johnston said on an episode of The Leafs Report last month discussing the injury.

“Apparently his issues were made even worse by being on a couple of long flights heading over to Sweden and back.”

Now without Klingberg, Toronto has cycled through a whole host of defenders, including 10 different players this season alone.

Toronto returns to the ice tomorrow when they host the Ottawa Senators. Puck drop is set for 7 pm ET.