Oliver Kylington THW Close-Up:
Date of birth: 5/19/1997
Place of birth: Stockholm, Sweden
Ht: 6’0″ Wt: 174 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2015
Twitter: @Olliekdot
THW The Next Ones Rankings (February): 8
Other Rankings:
THW War Room Rankings (January): 6
HockeyProspect.com (February): 13
Last Word On Sports (February): 7
Craig Button (March): 29
CS Final Rankings for International skaters (January): 1
***
Graceful skating is what Swedes have been known to teach. Oliver Kylington is no exception. He might have the best skating of any defenseman in the draft hands down. In a few strides he reaches top speed and can maintain it while weaving through opponents.
What might be most underrated is that he’s already played two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League and started playing against men at 16-years old. Kylington has the poise and maturity you’d find in a veteran who has played the game for years. Offensively, he joins the rush when he’s afforded the opportunity and usually doesn’t disappoint. I haven’t been overwhelmed by his shot speed, however his accuracy is dead on.
You shouldn’t look past Kylington’s defensive game either. His skating allows him to get back into the play if he gets caught out of position, however, he rarely ever does. Kylington’s gap control on the backend is what has him ranked highly across the board. The only concerning part about him is that he’s relatively skinny and gets knocked around easily. When he fills out more it would be nice to see him learn to use his body to his advantage defensively.
Overall, Kylington has started to slip mildly, but is still a fantastic defenseman to have in your prospect pool. For NHL squads looking to bolster their blueline, the young Swede would make a perfect fit.
Where Will He End Up In June:
I feel Kylington will be taken somewhere in the middle of the first round between picks 12-19.
Scout’s Honor:
“Exceptionally poised, mature, two-way defenseman…handles the puck well and likes to join the rush…plays with impressive confidence and is absolutely fearless with the puck on his stick…doesn’t possess a bomb of a shot, but knows how to put the puck on target…quite impressive top speed and acceleration, especially in offensive situations…not overly big and has some defensive positioning issues to sort out…minute-munching ability as this kid just has ice water flowing through his veins. (August 2014)”
“Smooth skating defenceman who is very efficient in transporting the puck up the ice. Very agile and athletic, but might be missing that extra hockey sense needed to become a force on the powerplay. Could become a good two-way defenceman in the NHL, maybe even a guy for a top four assignment.”
Uffe Bodin – hockeysverige.se
“Kylington is another in a long line of Super Swedish defencemen. He has been playing against men. He has spent time with Farjestad in the SHL, the highest level of Swedish hockey, and with AIK in the Allvenskan. He has played big minutes and put up good offensive numbers for his age with 12 points in 34 games across the two leagues. Even more incredible is the fact that he was a regular with Farjestad down the stretch last season, at just 16 years old. While an injury unfortunatately kept Kylington out of the World Juniors, he has played for Sweden at the Ivan Hlinka tournament where he was very impressive. An outstanding two-way defenceman, Kylington is a strong skater who can rush the puck and get back into position defensively. He has an excellent stride, which gives him great speed and acceleration in both directions. Excellent agility, edge work, and pivots give him the mobility to cover all areas of the ice. Kylington shows good passing skills and excellent vision. Defensively his game relies on strong positioning, and a quick stick to take the puck off opponents and start the transition game.“
Ben Kerr – Last Word On Sports
Statistics:
Bio/Interview(s)/Links:
International Tournaments:
Kylington has played in numerous tournaments for Team Sweden – six times to be exact. He’s won four medals: one bronze, two silvers, and one gold.
ETA:
2-3 years
Risk/Reward Analysis:
Risk: 1/5 Reward: 4/5
NHL Potential:
Top-four pairing defenseman with excellent two-way ability
Strengths:
Speed
Skating
Passing
Breakouts
Joining the rush
First pass out of the zone
Balance
Positioning
Poise
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On:
Getting stronger
Using his body more effectively
Shot speed
Fantasy Hockey Potential:
Offensive: 7/10 Defensive: 6/10
NHL Player Comparison:
– NHL comparison: Tobias Enstrom
Video(s):
***
THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph