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Stars GM Jim Nill believes he’s making a smart bet on long-term deal for John Klingberg

Jim Nill placed a pretty big bet on Friday, signing 22-year-old defenseman John Klingberg to a seven-year contract extension based on just 65 games of NHL experience

Klingberg will average $4.25 million per season, and that’s guaranteed money. The contract will start small and peak out at $6 million, so the expectation is Klingberg will be one of the best players on the team by its end. The Stars could buy him out at two-thirds the remainder of his contract if this doesn’t work out, but Nill is planning on long-term success for the skinny kid from Gothenberg, Sweden.