Flames unwilling to sign defenceman due to mental health

Flames defenceman Oliver Kylington remains unsigned by the team, and reports are surfacing that it's because they're not convinced he's healed his mental health concerns.

According to Jim Parsons of The Hockey Writers, Kylington is seeking a two year term, but the team is uncomfortable with giving term after he missed time in the Player Assistance Program.

»When asked what the hold up is, Conroy said it was about term. They love Kylington, but there are questions after he missed all but 33 games last season because of mental health issues. Giving him a long-term deal is not something they feel comfortable doing because they don't necessarily know he's fully healed.»

Kylington is a fantastic player and an incredible development story for the Flames. He plays with great speed and puck moving ability, and in 2021-22, scored 9 goals and 31 points. Last season was still productive, despite playing only 33 games after coming back from the player assistance program.

Kylington explained that he had been dealing with family trauma that he had contained for years, that led to mental illness. He's confidently proclaimed that he's got the help he needed and is now fully back - and wants to get a fair deal.

»There are things that have going on in the family for many years, but which escalated to get worse and there were mental and psychological problems I suffered from . . . But for me, it led to mental illness. And I felt very bad about how I dealt with my problems and almost went into the wall and felt that now it's enough.»

The Flames shouldn't be discriminating against Kylington due to his involvement in the player assistance program, and he deserves a fair contract that he's asked for of 2 years at $3M. If the Flames show a lack of faith in the player by refusing the second year, he may lose interest in re-signing with a team that doesn't believe in him, and take a chance elsewhere to prove his worth.