Flames News & Rumors: Kylington, Treliving, Boeser & More

In this issue of Calgary Flames News & Rumors, Brad Treliving spoke about defenseman Oliver Kylington and whether he will be back to wrap up the 2022-23 season. Treliving also discussed its plans for the trade deadline. If the team can pick up some wins before the deadline, one player they are said to be eyeing is the Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser.

Kylington’s return remains unclear

After a breakthrough in the 2021-22 season when he had career bests with nine goals and 31 points in 73 games, Kylington was rewarded with a two-year, $5 million extension in early August. Flames fans were hoping the 25-year-old straight runner could continue his upward trend, but that wasn’t the case.

Oliver Kylington, Calgary Flames (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Instead, due to a personal matter, he still has to play in the 2022/23 season and stays at home in Sweden. While a return hasn’t been ruled out, speaking to the media, Treliving admitted he needs a response one way or another to determine what his team will be doing by deadline.

“Yes, we definitely do,” Treliving said when asked if the team needed clarification on the situation. “These are things we are working on behind the scenes. Yes, it’s certainly something we want clarity on as soon as possible. We want to be supportive and we have been, but clarity will certainly be needed as we approach March 3.”

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While this is pure speculation, it seems less and less likely that we’ll see Kylington in 2022-23 now that we’re halfway through the season. If that’s the case, Treliving could put him on long-term injured reserve, freeing up $2.5 million in cap space, which would make adding a player much easier.

Treliving uncertain at deadline approach

Heading into the 2022-23 season, most expected the Flames to be one of the most competitive teams in the Western Conference. With offseason additions like Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar, many believed they had a roster capable of running a Stanley Cup. After Monday night’s loss to the New York Rangers, they find themselves with a 24-17-10 record and just outside the playoff picture. So does Treliving still believe enough in its group to be a buyer as of the deadline?

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“Every point and every game is important and you evaluate it. Part of this is also that you evaluate how your team is playing and sometimes the results lag behind the performance. But certainly we have a lot of hockey ahead of us after the break and this period, and this period will be important for us to determine what we’re going to do on deadline. So yes, we will be watching closely.”

Treliving is in a difficult position having decided to allocate large contracts to the three new players listed above and giving up assets on a player as of deadline poses a risk given his team’s place in the standings. But this is also a very talented squad, capable of heating up and running down the track.

Boeser listed as a flame target

Treliving has said all season that he would like to add a top-nine forward with offensive ability and several players have been linked with the Flames in recent weeks. Some of the most talked about are Vladimir Tarasenko, Ivan Barbashev and James Van Riemsdyk, but Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli also mentioned Boeser.

Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Boeser, 25, appears to be a prime contender to be postponed before the deadline as the relationship between him and the Canucks appears to be rigid. His scoring chances have declined in recent seasons, although he still managed to be productive in 2022-23 with 30 points in 42 games. He wouldn’t be a rental, however, as he has two seasons left after this season with a $6.65 million cap.

The problem with trading Boeser is how the Flames would handle their cap situation next season. With the prospect of renewals for Huberdeau and Weegar, money is getting tight which means if Boeser is brought in there will likely be someone else in the squad on the move, whether before the deadline or in the off-season. Nonetheless, it’s worth exploring if you’re Treliving, given the high skill level Boeser brings to the table.

Look ahead for the flames

As previously mentioned, the Flames lost their first game after the All-Star break to the Rangers on Monday night. They’ll have the next two days to regroup as their next game isn’t due until Thursday, an away game against the Detroit Red Wings. They will then take to the streets on Saturday night for their final game of the week against the Buffalo Sabers.

Colton Pankiw is a former Jr. A hockey player who now shares his knowledge of the game in writing. He has been a very active and trusted source at The Hockey Writers for almost two years. He is a recognized writer for the Calgary Flames but also plays on other teams in the league. Other author contributions include: Yahoo Sports, Las Vegas Chronicle, Oil On Whyte and Markerzone.com. Colton is also the co-host of the podcasts Oilers Overtime and Flames Faceoff. Any interview requests or content information can be made through him Twitter. Check out his work here.

Source: thehockeywriters.com