San Jose Sharks defenseman John Klingberg has faced criticism for his play, which has been struggling.
Although the Sharks have given the veteran d-man a long leash, there will be a time when that leash runs out. NHL players and coaches are not blind to what people say about them.
#SJSharks Warsofsky on Klingberg scoring on the PP: “Yeah, is everyone okay?”— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) November 6, 2025
Their job is to produce, and for a player in the stage of their career that Klingberg is in, the Sharks are going to be his best opportunity to stay in the league in a prominent role.
“I can be better,” Klingberg said after the San Jose Sharks’ 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken.
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“It comes down to playing with the puck. Being better on the breakouts. My game is better in the O-zone than it is in the D-zone. I think if I can be a little better on the breakout, a little more clean there, we will play more with the puck.”
Klingberg has played 13 games this season and has averaged 21:04 minutes per game. The Sharks defenseman hasn’t played over 21 minutes a night since he was still with the Dallas Stars in 2021-22.
The Swedish d-man understands his strength in the ability to move the puck. If the Sharks want to get back to winning games, Klingberg needs to improve his play. The power play has struggled since he returned on Oct. 28.
In ten games since returning, the San Jose Sharks own a putrid power play percentage of 9.4 (3 for 32). After an adjustment that saw Alexander Wennberg jump to the top unit on Saturday, there was a visible improvement.
Wennberg scored on the Sharks’ first man-advantage against the Kraken, but the team ultimately went 1 for 6.
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“Yeah, we got a goal, but I do think we should’ve been able to create more,” Klingberg said. “You are not going to be able to score every time, but I think you can grab a lot of momentum by creating some offense. I think we are breaking the puck out well, and our entries are good.
What it comes down to is we gotta be better at winning the rebounds and controlling the second puck than restarting. I feel like we have to break out the puck a lot.”
The San Jose Sharks have two top prospects that can easily slot into the top power play unit: Sam Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni. Dmitry Orlov filled in wonderfully while Klingberg was out, too.
There is no way to know for sure, but Klingberg’s response to his play could mean more than a basic hockey response. Ryan Warsofsky is expecting results and could be asking for more from Klingerg.
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