The vision of "the ultimate John Klingberg" is clearest in the mind of John Klingberg.

The Stars' leading minute man is eighth in the NHL in points by defensemen since he entered the league three years ago, so he's already proven his offensive prowess. However, Klingberg believes that he can be a great defensive defenseman as well and that the new coaching staff in Dallas will help him become that.

"It's definitely my goal to play in all situations," said Klingberg, who led the Stars in time on ice at 23:21 last season despite averaging just 13 seconds per game on the penalty kill. "I have been working on my all-around game since I got here, and I think I'm getting better. I know I can do even more."

That's great news for Stars fans, who have been waiting for a No. 1 defenseman since the departure of Sergei Zubov in 2009. Klingberg has been the unlikely candidate to fill that void, and he has had his ups and downs. A fifth-round pick in 2010, Klingberg started playing defense at age 15. Now 25, he understands the intricacies of the position better but still is learning.

"He's a good player with a great résumé, and he just needs to keep growing," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "It takes time to learn how to play defense in this league, and he's in that process. We just need to be patient and help him along the way."

Klingberg is a willing student. He has great hands, and he sees the game differently. That allows him to make some tremendous passes and also some smart, quick plays to get the puck out of trouble. While it's easy to point to his 147 points (34 goals, 113 assists) in 221 games that ranks eighth among NHL defensemen since 2014, the real interesting number is his No. 15 rank SAT (shot differential at even strength), plus-452.

On a Stars team that has been pretty risky, Klingberg ranks high in puck possession, which means he can play defense by playing offense.

"You're trying to be good in every aspect of the game, that's always your goal," assistant coach Rick Wilson said. "There are different attributes in every player, and you want to build up the weak areas of your game while maintaining your strengths."

That's a process that can span an entire career, and Wilson did an exceptional job of allowing his defensemen to take different paths when he was with the Stars back in the 1990s and early 2000s. Darryl Sydor found new confidence under Wilson. Derian Hatcher and Richard Matvichuk became powerful defenders in front of the net. And Zubov was allowed to use his unique view of the game to forge a different path.

"They're not all the same," Wilson said, "so you can't treat them all the same."

And that applies to Klingberg, as well. He's 6-2 but weighs only 177 pounds, so you have to find a place where the Stars can lean on his strengths. Many have compared Klingberg to Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, and that's one reason it was easy to say that new Stars defenseman Marc Methot should be partnered with Klingberg. Methot played with Karlsson in recent years in Ottawa and understands how to complement a skilled defenseman.

But former Senators center Jason Spezza said the two are very different.

"Karlsson does it with his feet, and Klinger does it with his hands," Spezza said. "They approach the game differently."

So Hitchcock has decided not to start the season with Klingberg and Methot together. Instead, Klingberg will play with his partner from last season, Esa Lindell, and Methot will play with Jamie Oleksiak. That doesn't mean, though, that Klingberg isn't being seen as a big-minute defenseman who should be playing in all situations.

Despite the fact that Lindell and Klingberg struggled in trying to close out games in the final minute last season, Hitchcock said he will rely on Klingberg (among others) if the time comes.

"He has to play those minutes," Hitchcock said. "He has to play at that time, and it's our job that he knows how to play. It starts on us, and then it goes to the player. And if it doesn't get absorbed, then it's decision-time."

That's music to the ears of Klingberg, who finished third on the team in blocked shots last season at 117 and said he believes he can play a complete game.

"You always want to be on the ice when the game is on the line," Klingberg said. "I want to be a player they want to put out there."

Key player

Since entering the NHL in 2014, John Klingberg has been one of the Stars' most impactful players. Here's where he ranks on the team in some key categories: