Calgary Flames defenceman Oliver Kylington skated with the team on Friday

In a welcome sight, Calgary Flames defenceman Oliver Kylington skated with the team on Friday at Max Bell Arena. It wasn’t a full practice, as the team’s players split between off-ice workouts at the Saddledome and skating at Max Bell. But it was the first time since the end of the 2021-22 season that Kylington skated with the team in a formal setting.

Kylington, 26, was a second-round pick of the Flames back in 2015, boasting a tantalizing combination of smarts, speed and mobility. He had a breakout season in 2021-22, playing alongside Chris Tanev and putting up 31 points in 72 games. He signed a two-year deal with a $2.5 million cap hit in the summer of 2022.

Unfortunately, Kylington has played zero games on his new contract, as he’s been away from the team for personal reasons ever since. Kylington disclosed in an interview over the 2023 off-season with a Swedish outlet that he had been getting treatment for mental health challenges, though no details have been given for his absence this fall – and to be honest, it’s really none of our business, beyond hoping he’s doing better and eventually able to get back to doing what he loves.

Kylington spent the entirety of the 2022-23 season as an injured/non-roster player, and he’s been on the long-term injury reserve (for cap relief purposes) since the 2023-24 season began. While there’s reportedly no timeline for Kylington to return to action, he’s been on LTIR long enough that he’s eligible to be activated at any time, and the Flames aren’t using any of their LTIR space currently so there are no procedural hurdles for them to tackle at present. He hasn’t played since Game 5 of the Flames’ second-round playoff series with Edmonton in May 2022.

What does Kylington skating on Friday mean? Potentially nothing, potentially more than nothing. Hopefully it means he’s happy and healthy, and we’ll see where it goes from here.