UFA defenseman John Klingberg is joining the Edmonton Oilers in a comeback from hip surgery after a handful of teams were reportedly interested in him.

Klingberg had been attempting to resurrect his NHL career after spending more than a year working his way back from injury.

The Edmonton Oilers are off to a solid start to the 2024-25 NHL season. With 61 points through 45 games, they are fighting for first place in the Pacific Division with the Vegas Golden Knights. They lost defenseman Philip Broberg to the St Louis Blues this offseason and did not replace him.

The Edmonton Oilers have signed free-agent defenceman John Klingberg, as first reported by TSN's Darren Dreger.

John Klingberg signed a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. Financial terms were not disclosed. The 32-year-old defenseman had five assists in 14 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season before having season-ending hip surgery in December 2023.

The Oilers have won 19 of their past 24 games and are fourth in the NHL by points percentage. Members of the front office have been looking to improve the roster — like they did when they claimed Kasperi Kapanen off waivers in November — all while keeping financial flexibility ahead of the trade deadline.

The marquee veteran defenseman has signed with the Edmonton Oilers on Friday per NHL insider Darren Dreger. "John Klingberg heading to the Oilers," Dreger said on X. The details of Klingberg's contract with the Oilers have not yet been released.

Klingberg is trying to resurrect his career after spending more than a year working his way back from double hip resurfacing surgery.