Player Discussion Oliver Kylington
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OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
Now go read the actual responses I got to that post
Ace Rimmer
Stoke me a clipper.
I stand by these statements.
Except his shot has gotten stronger this sesaon.
Probably because Darryl told him to work on his shot.
Like, how sad was that interview where Kyllington said "it was nice to actually know what the coach wants me to improve on, so that I can do it". Turns out "get better defensively" without saying what aspects need improvement doesn't help.
OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
Kylington's always had a lethal shot. He led the entire 2017 WJC in shots IIRC.
The thing is, I'm not sure he really has gotten better defensively. The team, as a whole is playing a simpler and far more dedicated to two way brand of hockey, with much better outlet options. All young players will make the odd blunder but its really hard to tell if Kylington is making smarter decisions or just has far better support.
Volica
Papa Shango
- May 15, 2012
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I think he's making much better decisions this year.
It helps that this team is playing much more sound defensively, but the lack of panic in his game is miles ahead of where it was not even a year ago. A few nights ago, he had that fall in the neural zone with the puck.
Last year, he would have done one of two things:
1) Tried to finesse the puck back to his stick, fumble around for a few seconds, leading to a clean breakaway or 2 on 1.
2) Taken a penalty on the person about the blow by him.
This year, he doesn't panic, he gets up, and fires it deep. He's easily been the most improved player on the team, and if the NHL did a most improved award like the NBA, he'd be right there with some of the other breakouts we're seeing. I love to see it, I was critical of his game because he wasn't a regular, but man, did he ever put in the work and make himself into a bonafide top 4 NHLer.
His gap control has come along, and his positioning is phenomenal. If you watched him in previous years, he'd use his skating to make up bad defensive positioning; this year, it's just sound. He knows where he needs to be. Yes, he still makes some mistakes, but that's where the skating helps negate those instead of relying on it. He still feels out of control sometimes, but, you take it if he keeps pilling up points.
Would love to see him on the PP soon. Although the PP is working just fine, it'd be nice to see other looks on this roster.
Ace Rimmer
Stoke me a clipper.
The positive impact that Darryl Sutter has had on his progression cannot be stated enough.
Flames Fanatic
Mediocre
Tanev too. Honestly, he's been worth his weight in gold in helping develop our younger D, let alone his actual tremendous play.
TheHudlinator
Registered User
I still honestly don't think Sutter has done that much other than give him the perfect linemate and be forced into giving him a chance by Zad looking terrible
OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
Zadorov being AHL-calibre in games 1 and 2 may have saved our entire season.
- Apr 27, 2005
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Who was managed worse, Kylington or Bennett?
The fact that this is even a legitimate question tells you all you need to know.
The fact that this is even a legitimate question tells you all you need to know.
TheHudlinator
Registered User
It hurts but it's Bennett as he proved his last 2 playoffs here he needed a bigger role and Ward decided otherwise
InfinityIggy
Zagidulin's Dad
This one. They make a great pairing, but I'd be curious to see how Kylington looks away from Tanev at some point.
Sutter has also given him clear expectations of what he wants out of him, and things he wants him to improve on. Kyl even said as much in an interview (while saying that other coaches never told him anything specific to work on, or for expectations). Zad starting off rough was a godsend for him getting a chance (especially as a top 4 guy), but Sutter defining his role and expectations was a big part of it as well.
TheHudlinator
Registered User
Sutter played him 3 minutes game one then scratched him nevermind playing Nesterov over him last season. I'm loving having a real coach again but for a guy that loves to say ice time is earned he tried his best to spoon feed zad ice time he hadn't earned and clearly didn't want to play Kylington. I've said before I give Sutter a lot of credit for admitting his mistake and putting Kylington in but his game hasn't really changed much he was just given a chance.
Am I the only one who is waiting for the other shoe to drop with Kylington?... ie. he'll do something stupid and Sutter will bench him for a number of games and totally destroy his new found confidence?
OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
Sutter developed guys like Leopold, Phaneuf, Voynov, and Muzzin when they were at precarious points in their NHL careers into top pair guys. I have faith in him.
I think we're all just traumatized from Gulutzan/Peters/Ward.
In a way Kylington probably needed more tough love than Zad as Zad is already a finished product; what you see is what you get. Kylington is still developing thus more oversight/feedback via reduced ice time and benchings.
Should try to get him to go for the Whitecloud contract or similar strategy. Lock him up for what is sure to be a massive discount in later years
Volica
Papa Shango
- May 15, 2012
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It's Bennett, easily. Bennett gave you glimpses at what he could be.
The playoffs turned on, and he becomes an absolute force out of no where? Every time he spends a few minutes as a centre with Gaudreau, he looks absolutely fine and the top line ticks... but doesn't get any kind of extended look there even with Monahan struggling at various times.
The fact they couldn't find anything for him, except 3rd/4th line energy player is peak Flames.
Kylington never showed to be more than replacement level over the past number of years. Even in preseasons when he was given larger roles, he never popped like this. This is just player development at its finest. You wish that this guy was given proper coaching when he was like 21/22 instead of getting these F grade coaches with no idea what to do with him, or how to improve his play.
OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
I wish I could like the above post because the first two paragraphs are 100% accurate but the third paragraph is wrong. Kylington had areas to work on offensively but his gap control, defensive positioning, first pass, puck rushing were all superior to Noah Hanifin as far back as 2018. Hanifin was spoonfed minutes here because he was spoonfed even more minutes in Carolina (when he, too, belonged in the same AHL Kylington was sent to) and Peters knew what he had. Hanifin cost us in the Avs series too where Kylington would have been steady.
Basically Hanifin proved himself because he was drafted higher but was at no point, other than 2020-21, better than Kylington shift-by-shift. And Kylington barely played in 2020-21 so it isn't even an apples to apples comparision.
Now that they are on a near-level playing field we are seeing the gap in their ability level on full display.
You could make the argument that Bennett showed up in the playoffs but Kylington didn't so much as get a chance to show up in the playoffs because of guys like Fantenberg, Gustaffsson etc. Imagine if we scratched Bennett in the playoffs... that's how mismanaged both guys have been.
The answer is ultimately Bennett because we traded him away - but if we had lost Kylington to waivers or expansion it would have been him. Thankfully we were lucky the NHL OBC never noticed Kylington's talent.
Basically Hanifin proved himself because he was drafted higher but was at no point, other than 2020-21, better than Kylington shift-by-shift. And Kylington barely played in 2020-21 so it isn't even an apples to apples comparision.
Now that they are on a near-level playing field we are seeing the gap in their ability level on full display.
You could make the argument that Bennett showed up in the playoffs but Kylington didn't so much as get a chance to show up in the playoffs because of guys like Fantenberg, Gustaffsson etc. Imagine if we scratched Bennett in the playoffs... that's how mismanaged both guys have been.
The answer is ultimately Bennett because we traded him away - but if we had lost Kylington to waivers or expansion it would have been him. Thankfully we were lucky the NHL OBC never noticed Kylington's talent.
Mobiandi
Registered User
- Jan 17, 2015
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The answer is easily Bennett. Highest pick ever that we treated like an afterthought all because Sean Monahan was here first.
Kylington, for all his talent/potential and overexaggerated warts, was essentially a 3rd round pick. Making the NHL from there is a miracle in itself. Yes, he was a 1st rounder that fell but he was never a consensus top 5 pick. We just jerked him around as bad as Bennett, but he was never expected to be a gamebreaker for us.
My theory regarding their mismanagement was that it was a Treliving directive to take advantage of keeping RFA cap hits down
Kylington, for all his talent/potential and overexaggerated warts, was essentially a 3rd round pick. Making the NHL from there is a miracle in itself. Yes, he was a 1st rounder that fell but he was never a consensus top 5 pick. We just jerked him around as bad as Bennett, but he was never expected to be a gamebreaker for us.
My theory regarding their mismanagement was that it was a Treliving directive to take advantage of keeping RFA cap hits down
OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
That's not quite accurate. After his D+1 year in the AHL Kylington had basically erased all doubts that caused him to fall in his draft. He was right back to being a top 5 talent in the 2015 draft less than 365 days after the draft. It even earned him a callup to the NHL where Bob Hartley played the 18 year old on a stud pair with TJ Brodie (and we won that game, although Kylington was probably being too glass-n-out but it was his first NHL game so eh).
Even Kings fans who followed the Ontario Reign were raving about their live looks at that Kylington kid on Stockton.
Gulutzan, Peters, and Ward were just idiots.
McDavid
Eichel
Barzal
Kylington
Rantenen
Aho
Werenski
Marner
The eight most talented players in the 2015 draft. HMs to Connor, Boeser, Provorov, Chabot, Konecny, Sprong, Hanifin, Cirelli
Out of those guys, Sprong is a guy who could really still blow up if given a chance.
Edit: Mangiapane was drafted in 2015 too but he was 2014 draft eligible so I'd lump him with the 2014s.
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Ace Rimmer
Stoke me a clipper.
He was actually in the conversation for first overall (two years prior) and a top five pick (year prior) at least to my admittedly shitty recollection. More than just a first rounder that fell, and his draft season had all kinds of shenanigans that helped that along.
