Sheng Peng
SEATTLE — Ryan Warsofsky still believes in the potential of the San Jose Sharks’ power play with John Klingberg, despite recent struggles.
What’s Warsofsky see?
“He can move pucks. He can manipulate the penalty kill pretty well. He’s got deception. He can shoot it,” Warsofsky told San Jose Hockey Now on Tuesday.
In his heyday with the Dallas Stars, the 33-year-old defenseman was one of the premier offensive defensemen in the NHL. From 2014 to 2021, Klingberg was ninth among all blueliners with 327 points.
“We’d like to see him shoot it a little bit more,” Warsofsky said. “He’s got that slingshot he’s got up top when he slides into his one foot. Did it a lot in Dallas. Want to try to get back to that.”
Klingberg, however, has dealt with a myriad of injuries over the last few years, playing just 25 regular season games over the last two campaigns.
But regardless, Klingberg makes Warsofsky think of a former San Jose Sharks great.
“Smart, smart individual,” Warsofsky said. “Reminds me of Karl in the way he sees the game.”
That’s Erik Karlsson, who then-Sharks assistant coach Warsofsky helped to a Norris Trophy in 2022-23.
If Warsofsky holds Klingberg in that high regard, you can see why he’s not ready to pull the plug on Klingberg on the San Jose Sharks’ top power play unit just yet.
“It’s too early,” Warsofsky said. “We signed Klingberg to run our first power play.”
In the off-season, the Sharks inked Klingberg to a one-year, $4 million contract, after seeing him get through the Edmonton Oilers’ run to the Final healthy.
Klingberg began the season quarterbacking Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund, and Tyler Toffoli on the San Jose Sharks’ top power play unit, getting off to a quick start.
Right-handed Klingberg was on the ice for two of the Sharks’ three power play goals in the first three games of the season, including his first goal as a member of Team Teal, before suffering a lower-body injury in the third game of the year.
Left-handed Dmitry Orlov took over on PP1 when Klingberg went down, continuing that success. Orlov was on the ice for six power play goals over six games, from Oct. 17-26.
Klingberg returned to action on Oct. 28 against the Los Angeles Kings, helming the top power play group once again, but they’ve gone dry over the last four games.
Was there a temptation to keep PP1 going with Orlov?
There wasn’t, according to Warsofsky.
“[Klingberg is] here for a reason, to help us facilitate. He’s done a really good job at doing that pretty much his whole career when he’s healthy. So we’re not ready to switch that yet,” Warsofsky said. “We’re not gonna just rip it away from him because of a bad couple reps or an injury. We’re not talking about Tom Brady and Drew Bledsoe here.”
The Massachusetts native is referencing how unheralded New England Patriots back-up quarterback Tom Brady took star Drew Bledsoe’s job for good in 2001, after Bledsoe went down with injury.
This might be a reminder that star prospects Sam Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni aren’t quite ready to run the San Jose Sharks’ power play just yet.
This might also be a reminder that Orlov, despite his quick start, 10 assists in 13 games, could just be riding a hot streak. His career-high is 36 points in 2022-23. Klingberg has got a goal and two assists in seven appearances this season, career-high 67 points in 2017-18.
Granted, that was long, long time ago, but it’s not crazy for Warsofsky to think that the San Jose Sharks power play could be better served in the end by Klingberg’s offensive potential.
“Hasn’t played a lot of hockey here,” Warsofsky stressed about Klingberg. “The more we get chemistry with our power play, the more improvement it’s going to get.”
And in truth, it’s a small sample size, just four-straight scoreless power play efforts. It doesn’t mean that Klingberg will have an entire season to work out the kinks. But once again, it’s just four games.
“He’s done some good things. He’s moving pucks. He’s defending with some purpose,” Warsofsky said of the veteran’s overall game. “Obviously, some things we got to clean up in situations with and without the puck but gives us a different element back there.”