The Edmonton Oilers have done some tidy work this off-season under General Manager Stan Bowman, and while many have criticized the surprise decision to hire Mike Babcock as their Head Coach, the team have made some other solid moves.
Not only did the Oilers move Darnell Nurse and his entire contract while replacing him with Ryan Shea, but the team also added Frederik Andersen in net, and while he struggled in the Stanley Cup Finals, he’s the best netminder the Oilers have had in quite some time. However, the Oilers work isn’t done yet, and now, the team have been urged to target a former Calgary Flames rival on a professional tryout.
Oilers Urged to Pursue Oliver Kylington
GettyOliver Kylington with the Anaheim Ducks.
For years, Oliver Kylington was a rival of the Oilers with the Calgary Flames, and while he flamed out and never quite reached his potential with the team, there was a belief that he had much more to offer than what he showed with the Oilers Alberta rival.
However, in the two seasons since he departed Calgary, Kylington appeared in just 19 NHL games, posting 1 goal and 5 points for the Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks in that time. As a result, he returned home to Sweden a year ago, posting 8 points in 25 games for Djurgarden IF in 2025/26, but there has been speculation he may want to give the NHL another try in 2026/27 or in the future.
At 29-years-old, it’s unclear just how much he wants to try that after returning to Sweden, but if he does, Lowetide have suggested that a potential PTO could be something that the Oilers should explore.
Should the Oilers Explore a PTO With Kylington?
Sure, Kylington was named as a surprise PTO candidate, and it’s more likely that he will remain in Sweden for the year to come, but after posting 31 points in 73 games in his career best year back in 2021/22 before mental health struggles derailed his career, Kylington clearly has the offensive upside it takes to compete in the NHL.
That’s something that the Oilers would love on their blue line, and with a genuine competition for their seventh-defenseman slot heading into the 2026/27 season, giving Kylington the chance to fight for that spot wouldn’t be the worst move for the Oilers front office. It’s unclear whether or not this is something Kylington would be open to, but given the Oilers need on the blue line, taking risks like this at a fairly cheap price make perfect sense.
Ultimately, Kylington has never quite been the same since missing the 2022/23 season due to those mental health struggles, the time off that was fully supported by the Flames and the NHL at the time, but if he’s given a significant opportunity, he still has all of that talent and offensive upside, and this would be a low-risk, potentially high-reward move for Edmonton.
Oilers Urged to Sign Former Rival to a Professional Tryout