Oliver Kylington

A personal matter kept Kylington off the ice for all of 2022-23, and it was clear the Flames missed the blueliner as their defensive structure crumbled. Now 26 years old, Kylington is entering his prime as a reliable two-way defenseman that fits well on the second pairing. He's had previous success alongside Chris Tanev, but he could also see time with MacKenzie Weegar this year. Missing a whole season makes it tough to predict how Kylington will bounce back, but he put up 31 points and a plus-34 rating in 73 contests in 2021-22. He won't add much physicality, but he could contend for second-unit power-play time, which would give his offense a slight boost.

Kylington managed just 16 points in 95 games over parts of his first four NHL seasons, but he established himself as a full-time regular for Calgary last year, posting nine goals and 31 points in 73 games. The presence of Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin limited Kylington to just 1:04 of power-play time per game, which certainly limits his ceiling from a fantasy perspective. Kylington could threaten 20 minutes worth of playing time a night this upcoming season, so a repeat performance is certainly possible, but there isn't much upside here.

Kylington struggled with seven points, 37 shots on goal and a minus-6 rating in 48 games last year. He frequently found himself in the press box and even had a stint with AHL Stockton to refine his game. A spot in the lineup is far from guaranteed for the 23-year-old Swede, who will compete primarily with free-agent signing Nikita Nesterov for third-pairing minutes. Assuming Kylington's game takes a step forward in 2020-21, he should be able to reach double digits in points even with limited minutes. Nonetheless, the second-round pick from 2015 is unlikely to make a splash in fantasy, as he has yet to excel in any statistical category.

Kylington played in 38 games as a rookie for the Flames in 2018-19, notching three goals, five assists and 41 blocked shots. The 60th overall pick from the 2015 draft is just one of the young defenders currently entering the fold for the Flames, so he was forced to battle with the likes of Juuso Valimaki for playing time on the third pairing last season. If Calgary doesn't ship out a defenseman ahead of training camp, Kylington will likely have to settle for a similar role in 2019-20. The 22-year-old Swede will probably notch 10-to-15 points while bouncing between the AHL and NHL this campaign, but he's still at least a year or two away from warranting fantasy consideration.

Kylington has spent the last two years playing with AHL Stockton, recording 13 goals and 62 points through 122 games. The Swedish blueliner applied seven goals and 28 helpers to last year's ledger, as he continues to polish his offensive game at the minor-league level. Of course, Kylington's fantasy value figures to be limited with the big club even if he defies the odds and cracks the Opening Night lineup.

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