Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington has been assigned to the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League (AHL) for conditioning. The 26-year-old hasn’t played a game for the Flames since the 2021-22 season after taking time off for his mental health. This assignment is excellent news for both Kylington and the Flames.
Kylington’s Career In Calgary
The Swedish defenseman has played 168 games for the Flames since being drafted by them in 2015. He’s scored 14 goals and has 33 assists overall. He played a career-high 73 games during the 2021-22 season and ended the season with 31 points. Kylington was a steady presence on the ice for the Flames and improved over each season.
Kylington’s most impressive stat from his career with the Flames is his plus-34 in the 2021-22 season. As a defenseman, having such a good plus/minus is indicative of what he brings to the team. His solid performance shows how valuable he is to the team, especially given the free agency status of fellow defensemen Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin.
Kylington’s Time Off
After the 2021-22 season, Kylington decided to take some time off. He opened up to HockeyNewsSE in August 2023 about his struggles with mental health. During the interview, he spoke of the shame he felt regarding his struggle and what finally drove him to seek the necessary help.
Kylington joined the Flames for a skate on Dec. 1. It was his first time back on the ice with his team since the start of his time off. Head coach Ryan Huska stated at that time that there was no timeline for the Swedish defenseman’s return but that seeing him back on the ice with the team was good. The team and the organization have stood behind the defenseman throughout this past year, so this next step brings a lot of hope for his return.
The Defenseman’s Return to the NHL
Kylington spoke to the media on Jan. 4 and said that he was ready to take this next step. With Tanev and Hanifin’s futures with the Flames up in the air, having the Swedish defenseman ready to go will be a relief to the already struggling team. After a short period with the Wranglers, either six days or three games, the defenseman will hopefully be ready to get back out there with the Flames.
This assignment to the AHL is a step in the right direction for helping Kylington get back to the NHL. By having him spend some time with the Wranglers to do some conditioning, the Flames are giving the defenseman a chance to get himself back into the game. After the time he’s taken off and the work he’s done on himself, it will be nice to see Kylington playing for the Flames again.
