It’s not like Kylington is tiny which is what you continue to infer; but just looking at Kylington now and the training he’s put himself through I feel like 183 lbs isn’t quite that accurate. To add to that he listed at 6’0 185 lbs at his draft and he clearly visually looks to have added at least 10 lbs of muscle to his frame since his 2015 draft year.
Size hasn’t been Kylington’s biggest issue it’s been his consistency in having discipline to a 200 ft game that has held him back most but ultimately time down in the AHL has helped grow his overall game. Ryan Huska likes his guys and Oliver is one of them, he spent a lot of time helping grow his game.
Huska on Kylington’s first years with the org:
Quote:
"Most nights, you see him as a quiet, confident guy. He doesn't try to do too much," Huska explained. "There's nights where he's off … he tries to do way too much on his own.
"I think he's learned over the course of a year and a half now, the game is about moving it quick, jumping into the play and not try to play through people. He's starting to understand that.
"There's still nights where he gets back into his old habits but he's 19-years-old. There's a lot of times we forget that, even as coaches. He's a young guy and our expectations for what he'll bring to the table are high.
"We're hard on him at times but we're hopeful he'll continue to improve and really figure out the consistency he needs to have."
Looking back on the past year and the work he has put in, Kylington sees plenty of gains in his game.
|
The Dman we bring in is going to be battling with Kylington for the 3rd pair left D which is perfectly fine to me as internal competition is healthy for any successful franchise but to sit here and say that 10 lbs and an inch or two in height is going to be what holds Kylington out of the starting lineup is foolishly narrow sighted.