Stars' Klingberg on stalled contract talks: 'Don't feel that I've been appreciated'

Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg was blunt when asked about his contract negotiations and future with the club after Saturday's 3-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"I don't think it's entirely true," Klingberg told reporters postgame regarding the rumors that he requested a trade, per Sportsnet.

"It's not like I've been going out there and asking, 'I want to get traded now,' or something like that. It's something that's been going on with the negotiations and stuff like that."

He continued: "At the end of the day, it's a business. I understand it's a business on both sides. I've got to take care of my part as well. It's been standing still."

Klingberg concluded by saying: "Lately, it has been going more quietly and quietly. For me, as a player, I don't feel that I've been appreciated in that way when we don't even negotiate. For me, as a player, my agent, we talked to (general manager) Jim (Nill) a couple months back. He agreed that we could start talking with other GMs and see where we were at. Negotiation-wise, with the Stars, it has been very quiet."

The 29-year-old's in the final season of a seven-year, $29.75-million contract he inked with the team in 2015. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Klingberg has one goal and 16 assists in 26 contests so far this year. He ranks fourth on the team with an average ice time of 21:46, trailing Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, and Ryan Suter. Klingberg has 25 giveaways and three takeaways while managing a 52.1 expected goals for percentage at all game states, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The club re-signed Lindell to a six-year, $34.8-million extension in 2019 and handed Heiskanen a monster eight-year, $67.6-million contract this past summer. The veteran Suter inked a four-year, $14.6-million deal as a free agent during the offseason.