NHL Trade Rumors: John Klingberg Dealt to Wild from Ducks at 2023 Deadline

The Anaheim Ducks have traded defenseman John Klingberg to the Minnesota Wild, per TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Joe Smith of The Athletic broke down the trade:

The 30-year-old Klingberg has eight goals and 16 assists this season. He has also blocked 65 shots and registered 49 hits in 50 games. He averages 20:52 of ice time per game.

Klingberg played the first eight years of his career with the Dallas Stars before signing a one-year contract with the Ducks for this season.

The Ducks and Wild executed this trade right before the NHL's trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Friday. It was a no-brainer move for the Ducks, who are playing out the string of a lost season with just 48 points. With the team set to lose Klingberg to free agency, a trade made sense.

Meanwhile, the Wild are in the thick of a tight Western Conference playoff race in which the top eight teams have between 72 and 79 points. Minnesota has been busy at the deadline, adding forward Marcus Johansson (13 goals, 15 assists) from the Washington Capitals and center Oskar Sundqvist (seven goals, 14 assists) from the Detroit Red Wings.

Michael Russo of The Athletic explained what the Klingberg move means for Wild defensemen.

JFresh Hockey gave a breakdown of Klingberg, whose calling card is on the offensive end:

The Wild, who are 25th in goals scored out of 32 NHL teams, clearly focused on improving their offense. They appear to have done that and move forward with 20 regular-season games left, beginning Saturday on the road against the Calgary Flames.