The Calgary Flames have avoided arbitration with blueliner Oliver Kylington. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, they’ve inked Kylington to a two-year deal with $2.5 million per season.

Kylington was slated to go to salary arbitration on Aug. 10, but that hearing now obviously won’t be necessary.

Kylington, 25, had a breakthrough season in 2021-22. After clearing waivers and playing on the taxi squad in 2020-21, he was given an opportunity to play in the top four alongside Chris Tanev after an early season injury to Nikita Zadorov. Kylington thrived alongside Tanev and emerged as the player the Flames hoped he could become: a savvy, mobile puck-moving defender.

He’s not a perfect player and occasionally has puck management foibles, but he’s still young and learning, and so this could be a really good value deal for the Flames. The deal pays him slightly more than Dante Fabbro ($2.4 million) and slightly less than Gustav Forsling ($2.667 million), which seems like a good spot for a young blueliner who’s still establishing himself.

The Flames have two remaining restricted free agents to re-sign: Andrew Mangiapane (whose arbitration hearing is slated for Friday) and Adam Ruzicka.

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