Colorado Avalanche Sign Oliver Kylington Committed to Competitive Training Camp – Hockey Writers – Colorado Avalanche

Give credit where credit is due: The Colorado Avalanche stay busy even in the dog days of summer. The team recently announced the signing of free agent defenseman Oliver Kylington, who has signed a one-year, $1.05 million contract with the team after spending the first six seasons of his NHL career with the Calgary Flames.

Kylington had eight points (three goals and five assists) in 33 games last season after returning to NHL action during the 2023-24 campaign. The 27-year-old defenseman missed the entire 2022-23 season due to personal reasons and was named a finalist for the Bill Masterton Trophy for his perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

Related: Colorado Avalanche Lineup Projection for 2024-25

Although Kylington will seek a long-term contract next season, signing a one-year, proving deal with the high-flying Avalanche is a smart move for a player hoping to increase his value on the open market. The defenseman joins a host of new faces on the Avalanche's blue line, and his arrival will make what has already promised to be a hard-fought training camp battle even more competitive.

Let's get into where he could fit into this season's lineup, and where Colorado's defensive core stands after a busy 2024 season.

Kylington Is One Of Many New Faces On The Avalanche Blue Line

While Kylington's arrival will draw a lot of attention heading into the 2024-25 season, he is one of the few additions to an already impressive blue line that saw some return after a disappointing second-round loss to the Dallas Stars.

Sean Walker was acquired from the Flyers in Philadelphia at the 2024 trade deadline and impressed as he tallied seven points in 18 regular season games before going broke in 11 regular season appearances. He signed a five-year contract in free agency with the Carolina Hurricanes worth $3.6 million annually, the richest figure for the cash-strapped Avalanche.

Another notable departure is 37-year-old Jack Johnson, who was part of the Avalanche's 2022 Stanley Cup win. He returned to the Columbus Blue Jackets organization with whom he spent seven parts of the season between 2011-12 and 2017-18. While his veteran power will be missed, his on-ice power has waned in recent years and contributed to parting ways.

In terms of additions, 33-year-old Calvin de Haan is the biggest name outside of Kylington. The veteran signed a one-year, $800,000 contract. He's struggled with injuries over the past three seasons and hasn't played more than 69 appearances in the 2021-22 season, but he provides defensive value and penalty-killing value at a low price.

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The second notable acquisition was 24-year-old Swedish defenseman Erik Brannstrom, who did not receive a qualifying offer from the Ottawa Senators this summer. The 2017 first-round pick has struggled to live up to his potential thus far, but he peaked last season with three goals and 17 assists for 20 points in 76 games. While it will be difficult to hold a regular role on a blue line that already has many versatile defensemen with his skill set, he should be put to the best use and could be a sub for the 2024-25 season. .

Aside from the three incoming defensemen, Sam Malinski is the fourth and final name to be considered for a full spot on the Avalanche team this season. He split time between the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2023-24, recording 10 points in 26 games with the Avalanche while accumulating 27 points in 46 games with the AHL's Colorado Eagles.

Another thing working for Malinski is that he will no longer be eligible for withdrawal. At only $850,000 this season, many teams will be looking at a player of Malinki's caliber and this could push the Avalanche to keep him with the big leagues.

Avalanche's Bottom Defensive Pairing Spots Up for Grabs

Barring an unexpected trade in the coming weeks, the Avalanche's blue line has four clear players: Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Samuel Girard, and Josh Manson. All four have been the team's most-used defensemen over the past few seasons, have lengthy multi-year contracts, and all were key factors in the franchise's recent Stanley Cup win. That leaves two spots on the bottom pair, as the Avalanche's cap crunch could allow more than seven defensemen on the NHL roster.

Aside from Manson, three of the top four defensemen are cerebral puck-movers who make an impact on the game offensively rather than physically. Toews is an underrated defensive star who uses poise and awareness to make up for his lack of physical gifts. Makar has been used on the penalty kill in the past (he was second among Avalanche skaters in average short-ice time last season), but easing his workload should be the goal going forward given his recent injury concerns.

Despite his long absence, Kylington should have the upper hand in one of the lower spots. He's played a front-four role in the past (fourth on the Flames' defense during the 2021-22 ice season) and has consistently shown strong transition skills. He's rarely used as a penalty killer in his career, so that still leaves a gap to be filled.

While Brannstrom and Malinski have flashed their offensive chops at times in the pro ranks, their defensive limitations have kept them from regular NHL work. Neither received a top-four send in five-on-five or penalty kill, leaving them in contention for the honor of being the seventh stop-gap defender with the now established Kylington entering contention.

As he offers something different on the occasionally redundant blue line, de Haan should start the season as usual on the third pair. He averaged just under two minutes of short-ice time per game for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season and is more dependable and more reliable than Jack Johnson was five-on-five given his entry-level defense and no-frills approach to clearing the zone. get out of the defensive zone.

Avalanche Hope for Competitive Training Camp

With the top four spots on the blue line locked up, the Avalanche should see some healthy competition at the bottom in training camp this fall. All four potential contenders have struggled to stay healthy, can be used as penalty killers, or lack experience.

Each member of the aforementioned quartet brings a different set of skills to the table, all of which could be useful on an already volatile blue line. Health will play a major role in determining who will be, but there is no doubt that the Avalanche will field a new and improved team on opening night.