What does an extension look like for Oliver Kylington?
After the 2023-24 season, Oliver Kylington officially became a free agent, but with what he went through and the support the Flames organization and fans gave to him through a difficult time, most assume that the talented defenseman would re-sign with the team. At 26-years old, the defenseman is just hitting his prime, and with just 33 games played in the past two years due to his mental health struggles, he’s got much less wear and tear on his body than most players in the NHL at his age.
So, with his free agency upcoming, the question remains, what does an extension look like for Kylington?
In his only full year in the league, Kylington tallied a solid 9 goals and 31 points in 73 games back in 2021-22, but given the time off, it’s tough to judge a comparable contract that he could ink this summer. The talent is there however, and with Noah Hanifin traded at the deadline, Kylington has a role to step into as the offense defenseman of this group, with the second pairing seemingly the perfect spot for him heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
Our guess is that Kylington signs a 1-2 year deal worth between $1.5M and $2.5M a season, but if the Flames can get him for longer than that at a similar cap hit, it would be a major victory for Conroy and the front office who need experience on the blue line until the prospects are ready to impact winning at the NHL level.