December 5, 2024

Ex-Jet On His Way Out Of Sweden?

Veteran Swedish right winger Carl Klingberg is rumoured to soon be leaving SHL club Frölunda HC.

Veteran Swedish right winger Carl Klingberg might soon be leaving his hometown team. Swedish media outlet Sportbladet claims to have information that indicates his departure from Frölunda HC is imminent.

The 33-year-old Gothenburg native returned to his hometown club – the one with which he first turned pro as a teenager – in 2023 to much fanfare, but Klingberg has not produced as hoped. Last season, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound winger had 17 points and 45 penalty minutes in 66 SHL regular-season and playoff games. This season has seen his production slip even further, with only two goals through 17 games.

In Klingberg’s last seven games, only once has he seen more than 10 minutes of ice time. He is reportedly a healthy scratch in Saturday’s game against Rögle BK.

“I haven’t wanted to say much about the whole situation,” Klingberg was recently quoted. “The coach gets to decide, so that’s it. I don’t have much more to say. You have to respect that. You want to play. I have to keep my feelings to myself and let my play speak for itself once I’m in.”

Klingberg was a second-round pick by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009 but played only one game for the team before the franchise moved to Winnipeg in 2011. Klingberg then played 11 NHL games for the Jets over the next few seasons, spending most of his time in the AHL.

Klingberg spent the 2015-16 season with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL and then played in Switzerland for EV Zug from 2016 to 2023. Even with Zug, his offensive production had begun to wane, with his point totals dropping his last three seasons from 39 to 32 to 18.

Internationally, Klingberg has represented Sweden at one U-18 World Championship, one World Junior Championship, three IIHF World Championships and two Winter Olympics.

According to Sportbladet and Expressen, Klingsberg’s next destination is probably in Finland, with Ilves the most likely team. Others mentioned are Tampere’s other team, Tappara, as well as Jukurit Mikkeli and IFK Helsinki.

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