We are nearly a month into free agency, and Oliver Kylington remains without a contract. It is a very strange situation, given that less than 60 days ago it appeared to be a foregone conclusion that he was returning to the Calgary Flames for at least the 2024-25 season, if not longer.
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Kylington’s last contract was a two-year deal signed with the Flames prior to the 2022-23 season. The 27-year-old wound up sitting out for the majority of that entire contract due to mental health reasons. He missed all of the 2022-23 campaign, but was able to return past the midway point of 2023-24, logging 33 games.
By all accounts, including Kylington himself, the Flames handled the situation perfectly. They never once pressured the Swedish defenceman to return, and were as supportive as they could have been the entire time. Given how well they handled things, it was presumed that Kylington would return the favour by re-upping with Calgary, but, as it turns out, that wasn’t the case.
Kylington Believed He Had a Bigger Offer
What was clear from the get-go is that Kylington’s camp misjudged his value on the open market. The Flames did make him an offer, though it was believed to be short-term. You can’t blame general manager Craig Conroy for that, as it would’ve been odd to give a player who missed a season and a half anything more. It makes it all the more puzzling as to why Kylington’s camp believed he would get more.
It has been reported, however, that Kylington believed he would get a bigger deal from another team. Supposedly, at least one team offered him a relatively long-term deal, but wound up backing out for unknown reasons. That has clearly hurt, as he now continues to wait on the open market with no new deal in sight.
As for a return to the Flames, it feels highly unlikely at this point. Conroy was on record weeks ago saying the door was closing. With MacKenzie Weegar, Rasmus Andersson, Jake Bean, Daniil Miromanov, Kevin Bahl, Joel Hanley, and Brayden Pachal all under contract, they don’t need Kylington, and the ship may have sailed on a potential return.
Greediness Backfired
First, let’s make it clear that Kylington did nothing wrong by taking time away from the game. Mental health struggles are a real and important thing, and it was great to see him recognize that he needed some time away. It was even better to see him be able to get back to doing what he loves this past season.
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What Kylington did do wrong, however, was not returning the favour. He said several times this past season how much he appreciated how the Flames handled his situation. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and Kylington’s actions don’t seem to be those of a truly appreciative player. Had he been, you’d assume he would return to the Flames for at least a year in an attempt to make up for the time missed.
While you can never entirely fault a player for chasing the money, Kylington made his bed and is now being forced to lie down in it. Conroy will never admit this publicly, but you have to imagine he was rather irritated by how this entire situation played out, making it highly unlikely he would consider circling back to sign him.
Now, Kylington is in a very tough spot. As each day passes, the chances of him getting an NHL contract seem to dissipate. He is getting to the point that if he wants to continue his NHL career, he may either have to settle for a two-way contract, or perhaps sign a professional tryout offer (PTO) and hope to impress in training camp. It’s quite the conundrum for a player who less than a month ago turned down a one-way offer to return to Calgary.
