Avalanche sign Oliver Kylington on one-year, $1.05 million contract

A veteran blueliner is joining a different organization for the first time in his career.

On Monday, the Colorado Avalanche announced they have signed defenseman Oliver Kylington to a one-year contract. The deal carries a cap hit of $1.05 million through the 2024-25 season.

Kylington just finished up the final year of a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.5 million.

Kylington joins the Avalanche after spending the last nine seasons with the with Calgary Flames organization. The Stockholm native was originally taken by the Flames in the second round, 60th overall, in the 2015 NHL Draft.

The 27-year-old only had one full NHL season, the 2021-22 season, during which he played a career-high 73 games, including all 12 of the Flames’ games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That year, he posted nine goals, 22 assists, and a plus/minus of +34, with three points coming in the postseason.

However, due to mental health issues, Kylington sat out the entire 2022-23 season, staying home in Sweden. The former Färjestad BK product re-joined the Flames in January of this past campaign and played 33 games with them after a conditioning stint with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. With the Flames, he notched three goals and eight points with a -6 rating.

Kylington’s story led to him being named a finalist for the Bill Masterton Trophy. The award ended up going to Utah Hockey Club goaltender Connor Ingram.

What Kylington will bring to the Avalanche is a solid and, for the most part, dependable two-way role on the back end. He has shown strong sense around the puck, and can be a useful depth piece for Colorado.

In 201 NHL appearances, he has scored 17 goals and 38 assists for 55 points with a +24 rating. In 192 games in the AHL, Kylington has registered 28 goals and 63 assists for 91 points.

During his younger years, Kylington represented his country on the international stage, playing for Sweden at the 2014 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.