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Originally Posted by PugnaciousIntern
I want to be a Kylington fan, but I'm not sure whether he's just having fun out there or if he has the ability to not make those stupid plays. I honestly haven't seen him enough in regular league play to get a sense of that; I normally see him only during tournaments or development style camps.
So on the premise that I (nor many other posters) really don't know what I'm talking about, I am always hesitant about prospects with poor decision making. Especially when it comes to defencemen. Imagining when/if he makes the Flames, I think he will be the most frustrating player for me to watch. I can't see him being the guy that I look forward to being on the ice, because those stupid plays are so much more damaging than the brilliance. Similar to those later Phaneuf Flames years, where he was always out of position trying to make massive hits.
Of course, this is my personal opinion, but I struggle to rank a prospect very high when I'm fearing seeing him actually play for my team.
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Here are the various comments I made on Kylington during last year's AHL season when I watched. And keep in mind he was a nineteen year old in a league where the rookies are usually twenty or even twenty-one.
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Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Kylington (His defensive game looks very good. Managing the puck very well, unafraid and uniquely able to make skilled plays, and I don't think he got beat even once all game. Also a sweet penalty killer. Was open a few times on the points where the forwards never found him, otherwise played a very smooth game in that TJ Brodie/Duncan Keith mold. I would like to see him be on PK1 soon.)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Kylington was strong 5v5 but as soon as the game opened up 4v4 he started trying to thread the needle without a decent passing angle. He did get caught once on an iffy pinch late in the game, but I don't blame him on that one as he also had the speed to recover. Still I thought he had way more good plays than the obvious bad ones.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
- Kylington is a neutral ice takeeaway-machine. Also had a knee one-timer on the PP off a poorly placed pass, that was impressive.
- Stockton's been kind of sloppy (Kylington and Morrison both had a pass picked off through the middle, and Wotherspoon/Morrison pairing allowed a breakaway against as well as some other breakaways at other times), though San Diego is such a bad team that it hasn't been a problem.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
If I am reading this correctly, Kylington's 13 points is an AHL career high for him. Does it in 23 games VS 12-in-47 last year.
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Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Jankowski with a sweet setup to Kylington, but Texas' goalie made a fantastic save.
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Originally Posted by GranteedEV
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
I think with this blue line (Kulak-Kylington / Wotherspoon-Kostka / Aulie-Ollas-Mattsson) the Heat can beat anybody in the AHL. Still a young team but they don't have guys way in over their head like Morrisson, Doetzal, and Kanzig.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Awesome stuff. And none of the points in this game were scored by AHL vets.
- Kylington, second-year AHLer and 19-year-old scores the go-ahead shorty. (not the GWG, but ultimately the playoff-clinching goal)
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Did Kylington have some mistakes? Sure. There was one in game 5 VS the Barricuda with a 1 goal lead where he should have chipped the puck out of the D-zone but elected to carry the puck and it backfired, that he is probably re-playing in his head every night as he waits for next season to end.
Know what though?
Johnny Gaudreau had a similar mistake against the Ducks in the 2015 playoffs. Kids make mistakes. Gaudreau was a 21 year old that year, Kylington was 19 when he made this turnover (and others.)
Overall, I personally believe based on what I have watched of Kylington, the good does truly outweigh the bad, and the bad will only get reduced as he continues to grow. If he were playing in Junior last year I think we would be talking about all his strengths foremost instead of putting him through the kind of harsh scrutiny reserved for 23, 24, 25 year olds. And by age, he should have been playing in Junior last year.