Klingberg Stares Down the Mirror as Sharks Blue Line Heats Up

     John Klingberg did something after the loss in Seattle that not every veteran with a long resume is willing to do. Standing in front of cameras after a 4–1 defeat to the Kraken, the San Jose Sharks defenseman summed up his night, and really his season, in four simple words: “I can be better.” That sentence hit harder because the numbers back it up. Klingberg has logged 13 games for San Jose this season and is averaging just over 21 minutes a night, his heaviest workload since his final full year with the Dallas Stars in 2021–22. The Sharks are not sheltering him. They are leaning on him in all situations and the production has not yet matched the responsibility.

Klingberg knows exactly where the problem starts. He described his game as better in the offensive zone than in his own end, and he zeroed in on breakouts, the small plays that turn retrievals into clean possession instead of scrambling. He said he has to be sharper getting the puck out because if he is, the Sharks will spend more time attacking and less time chasing. For a defender whose calling card has always been puck movement, that honesty is as much of an admission as it is a roadmap forward.

The power play is where the gap between expectation and reality is most obvious. Since returning from injury on October 28, the Sharks have gone 3 for 32 with the man advantage, a 9.4 percent rate that would drag down even a league average unit. Coach Ryan Warsofsky even tried a small shock to the system in Seattle, sliding Alexander Wennberg onto the first unit. It worked briefly when Wennberg scored, but the Sharks still finished the night 1 for 6 and never sustained the pressure they needed. Klingberg did not hide behind that lone goal. He pointed out that a productive power play is not just about scoring. It is about overwhelming teams with second chances, puck recoveries and layers of pressure. He felt the entries were fine and the initial setups were strong, but the Sharks were losing too many rebounds and losing the battles needed to stay in the zone instead of being forced to regroup from their own end.

There is also pressure behind him. The Sharks have two highly regarded prospects, Sam Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni, who both project as future top-unit options. Dmitry Orlov handled the role with confidence while Klingberg was injured, moving the puck cleanly and at times looking like the safer choice. This is not a thin defense group depending on one veteran to simply survive. It is a crowded blue line where mistakes and minutes are being weighed against younger, cheaper and potentially more dynamic options.

Even Warsofsky’s public tone reflects that reality. Earlier this month, after Klingberg finally broke through on the power play, the coach joked, “Yeah, is everyone okay,” a light moment that still acknowledged the criticism swirling around his veteran. That kind of humor lands only when a player is under scrutiny but still trusted enough to get another shot. It was encouragement wrapped in a reminder that nothing is guaranteed.

Klingberg’s honesty matters in that context. Coaches and teammates see the same issues fans see. They know when a player forces an outlet under pressure, loses a board battle or misses the net on a shot that turns into a rush the other way. What they watch for is responsibility. Klingberg saying “I can be better” is only the start. The real test is in whether he tightens his retrieval angles, makes cleaner first passes and shows better judgment at the offensive blue line.

For the Sharks, this is also a referendum on where they stand as an organization. They signed Klingberg to run their first power play and to handle big minutes on a roster that is supposed to be climbing out of a rebuild. If he rebounds, he gives San Jose exactly what it hoped for: a right-shot puck mover who can ease the load on the younger defensemen and elevate the power play. If he does not, the Sharks will have to decide how aggressively they want to transition the role to the next generation and how long the leash should be for a veteran who is not producing at the level they need.

Right now, Klingberg is saying the right things. He is pointing the finger at himself. He is identifying the problems clearly and acknowledging that the Sharks will only go as far as their breakout and special teams allow them to go. That level of self-awareness does not guarantee a turnaround. But on a blue line where the competition is getting younger and the patience is getting thinner, it is the only possible first step.