In the wake of his career-surviving major surgery, it was a hip, hip hooray moment for John Klingberg when he signed his one-year free-agent contract in Edmonton—five years after being in the 2020 playoff bubble with the Dallas Stars when they were two games from winning the Stanley Cup.

The Edmonton Oilers potentially bolstered their defense Friday by signing free agent John Klingberg, a low-risk move that could amount to adding a top-four blueliner.

The NHL is back from its holiday roster freeze and fewer than two months away from the trade deadline. So far, there have been 15 trades, four coaching changes, plus extensions signed by Igor Shesterkin,