You aren't going to make many NHL defensive squads if you can't be consistently relied upon to do the basics which is make the safe play, avoid turnovers, minimize gaffs.
Kylington isn't Karlsson, he wont get a sniff until he demonstrates he can be a consistent defenceman.
Let's not forget that Karlsson made a lot of defensive gaffes early in his NHL career. It took time for him to become a finished product.
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Let's not forget that Karlsson made a lot of defensive gaffes early in his NHL career. It took time for him to become a finished product.
Yeah. Besides, it's not like everyone who isn't Karlsson is Drew Doughty out there. I would still be inclined to compare Kylington to some quality NHL defensemen who are not without their flaws but still make an impact:
Sami Vatanen
Shayne Gostisbehere
John Klingberg
Shea Theodore
Justin Schultz
Kevin Shattenkirk
Michael Del Zotto
Keith Yandle
Jake Gardiner
Tyson Barrie
Nikita Zaitsev
Colin Miller
The idea that Kylington's inconsistency mean he could be not-an-NHLer-at-all is gross hyperbole. There is a wide spectrum between Eric Karlsson and not-an-NHLer. I'd argue that skills/tool-wise, Kylington is already ahead of pretty much everybody on the above list.
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"May those who accept their fate find happiness. May those who defy it find glory."
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I'm not saying he can't be an NHL player. I'm saying he's not now. His offense alone isn't good enough to propel him to the NHL. He'll need to round out.
Right now I have Valimaki as a much surer bet to be an NHL player. Wouldn't be surprised if in 6 months he's above Kylington on the depth chart.
With his huge offensive upside, I think Flames management are going to keep him in the minors for a few more seasons.
Defencemen take a long time, especially when they are one directional. I look forward to him pushing in camp when he's 24-25years old.
That would mean 6 seasons in the A. Not happening. And he wouldn't keep clearing waivers.
They aren't going to rush him, but the only way he spends 4 more years in Stockton is because he turned out to be a bust.
One of the great things about having a guy of Stone's caliber in the bottom pairing is that he can shelter a kid as a partner. Playing sheltered 5/6 minutes, with Stone as his partner, would be the perfect situation for working a project like Kylington into the lineup.
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Maybe it's because we've seen what top end talent looks like but I like the way posters are not rating every prospect as above average as in previous years. Only a few of these guys may make the NHL.
Location: Oklahoma - Where they call a puck a ball...
Exp:
Here's some images from today.... Lighting was a struggle today. Lots of bulbs burnt out on the ceiling so it made for some weird lighting when shooting. Sorry they aren't as sharp but still ... better than nothing. I'll post more in the next week or so.
Its hard to scout a team who you are a fan of. Everyone has their favourites and go in with biases. If its a guy you like, you'll understate the mistakes and if you're questionable on the guy, you'll overstate them. Just human nature, I'm sure both posters are being honest about their assessment.
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Its hard to scout a team who you are a fan of. Everyone has their favourites and go in with biases. If its a guy you like, you'll understate the mistakes and if you're questionable on the guy, you'll overstate them. Just human nature, I'm sure both posters are being honest about their assessment.
I'm really bad for this with Kylington. I want him to reach his potential so badly that I instinctively gloss over posts that indicate defensive struggles.
