Flames' Kylington back practicing for the first time since leaving training camp

The Calgary Flames could soon be getting a major addition to their blue line.

On Friday morning, Oliver Kylington was back on the ice skating with his teammates at the Max Bell Arena. The 26-year-old left the team ahead of training camp due to mental health reasons, which also kept him out for the entire 2022-23 season.

Kylington back on the ice this morning at Max Bell arena. @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/IdWB56NmvD

— Ryan Leslie (@ryanlesliemedia) December 1, 2023

Whether a pure coincidence or perhaps insight that Kylington could soon be ready to go, Nikita Zadorov was traded yesterday to the Vancouver Canucks. The Flames were able to move out his entire $3.75 million salary, which would give them the room needed to activate Kylington from long-term injured reserve.

Prior to stepping away from the team ahead of the 2022-23 season, Kylington was viewed as one of the Flames’ most exciting players. After struggling to get into the lineup during his first few seasons as a pro, he had a major breakthrough in 2021-22, posting career highs across the board with nine goals and 31 points in 73 games. The breakout year earned him a two-year, $5 million contract extension.

Though any exact reason for Kylington’s lengthy absence is unknown to the public, the Swedish defenceman opened up in an interview this summer about some struggles he has had regarding his mental health.

“It was mental and psychological problems I suffered from,” Kylington said in Swedish (translated with Google Translate). “I think I’m dealing with the problem like maybe everyone else does, by just sweeping it under the rug and putting the lid on, but for me, it led to mental illness, and I felt very bad about how I handled my problems and almost hit the wall and felt that enough is enough.”

When Kylington left the team before the 2022-23 season, he returned home to Sweden and remained there for the entire year. This time around was different, as he chose to stay in Calgary despite walking away from the team just ahead of training camp. While he will certainly still need some time to get himself back into game shape, it is an excellent sign to see that he was able to return to practice with his teammates.

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