John Klingberg has agreed to a one-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks, the team announced Friday.
Klingberg was one of the most sought-after free agent defensemen this offseason after putting up 47 points in 74 games.
"We are extremely excited to add John to our group," said Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek in a statement. "John is a gifted player who can quarterback a power play and give us needed scoring from the blueline. He also adds veteran leadership and character to our team."
Klingberg was definitely worth the seven-year, $29.75 million contract that expired after last season. But the former Star was looking for a raise, if not a max contract.
That presented a problem for Dallas. The Stars have already committed big money to the blue line in Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen. They have huge money sunk in forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. And youngsters like Jason Robertson need to be paid.
Klingberg appeared to deserve top defenseman money when he peaked at 67 points with solid underlying metrics in 2017-18. His numbers have declined some in recent years, especially defensively, but he is still an elite offensive defenseman who has value on the power play.