[Signing] Avs sign Kylington to 1 yr deal $1.05 mil

[2ArmBands]

Definitely not going to boo the guy but certainly see no issues with being a bit critical of the situation. I think the organization handled things the best they could and did a good job throughout. Don’t think it’s unfair to hope that it could have been reciprocated. Given the situation it would have been nice if he could have signed the 1 year deal here and at least gave the Flames some control of the asset.

Fact is we don’t really know how the negotiation process went. It could have taken a turn at any given point. Just because someone is critical of the players decision doesn’t make the fan/person immoral like many in this thread want to indicate.

[Ferarri]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

I full stop do not understand how someone could read that and think “#### that guy, I’m gonna boo him when he returns”. The venn diagram of those people vs alcoholics with a preference to Budweiser would be a perfect circle.

Definitely not worthy of “#### that guy” response, but it’s more than fair to be critical of his decision. Certainly the Flames aren’t owed anything from Oliver, but a lot of good will was shown his way. It would seem natural for a player to want to acknowledge the gesture and want to re-sign. Also, the opportunity here in Calgary was much higher than what it will be in Colorado. I don’t have any problems with people questioning his decision given the fact that it sounds like the Calgary deal was better with an even greater opportunity to build his game.

When you factor all that it, seems odd to change teams and bail on the club that was with you all the way and most likely provided you with a better opportunity moving forward.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Ferarri

Definitely not worthy of “#### that guy” response, but it’s more than fair to be critical of his decision. Certainly the Flames aren’t owed anything from Oliver, but a lot of good will was shown his way. It would seem natural for a player to want to acknowledge the gesture and want to re-sign. Also, the opportunity here in Calgary was much higher than what it will be in Colorado. I don’t have any problems with people questioning his decision given the fact that it sounds like the Calgary deal was better with an even greater opportunity to build his game.

When you factor all that it, seems odd to change teams and bail on the club that was with you all the way and most likely provided you with a better opportunity moving forward.

If the rumours are true, he did want to re-sign in Calgary but insisted on a multi year deal. That doesn’t sound like a player that didn’t want to play for the Flames. The Flames, for obvious reasons didn’t think the risk was worth the investment.

The part of that interview that says Colorado really wanted him is a little suspect as well. Signing a 1 year deal for just above league minimum in August doesn’t sound like they wanted him that badly.

It really seems like Kylington and his agent miscalculated and thought they could pressure the Flames into something more lucrative, and when that failed, they had to take what they could get.

[Hackey]

Taking a 1 year deal would have made most sense. You take a one year deal and prove your worth and you get a nice multi year deal after. Expecting a multi year deal after missing 2 seasons seems crazy. I don't see how the Flames are at fault here at all. The player or agent screwed up.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

I full stop do not understand how someone could read that and think “#### that guy, I’m gonna boo him when he returns”. The venn diagram of those people vs alcoholics with a preference to Budweiser would be a perfect circle.

A middle aged message board full of vindicative sports fans is who.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

The last slide talks about him no longer having relationships with his family anymore, which led to the whole mental illness issue. I am guessing that it's about money, maybe family members were hounding him for financial support - the classic "a family member becomes rich and famous, let's see if I can skim some money off him" scenario...




If he is truly a class act, he can donate a large portion of the money he made from the Flames the past 2 seasons to organizations that help people dealing with mental illness. I think most Flames fans will understand/forgive him if he does that after taking close to $5 mil and only showed up for 33 games....

What is all this garbage, haha? I wish this site was better than it is, but it really isn't. Some real eye opening, bitter, vindictive stuff since Kylington left. Hopefully your comments make yourselves feel better at least.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by jayswin

What is all this garbage, haha? I wish this site was better than it is, but it really isn't. Some real eye opening, bitter, vindictive stuff since Kylington left. Hopefully your comments make yourselves feel better at least.

It’s not an issue with the board. I think most are just happy for Kylington, while perhaps being a little sad it didn’t work out.
It’s a small handful of narrow minded individuals that clearly lack empathy. We should not let the garbage spewed by a few color the overall board.

[Draug]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Kylington's issue (to me) was always his inability to use his boots and the same time he used his hands.

It was always one or the other with few acceptations.

AutoCorrect goes Rogue!

But I agree with your thoughts. Great skater, but could never put it together with great playing at the same time. Less so, but similar to good old Rico Fata 🤣

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

It’s not an issue with the board. I think most are just happy for Kylington, while perhaps being a little sad it didn’t work out.
It’s a small handful of narrow minded individuals that clearly lack empathy. We should not let the garbage spewed by a few color the overall board.

Because it’s mental health I think some people are treating it differently which is sad.

Which is why I have asked if this was a physical injury would we expect him to give us money back.

[fotze2]

It's weird we want our athletes to have this nonsense loyalty and give up rights we all have and use daily.

When a co-worker quits to go somewhere else we usually say "take me with you" not "you're a fataing piece of crap".

But he was drafted by the flames. The honor!!! Draft is not a benefit to players, its a sentence. It reduces your options from 32 to 1 for many years. Imagine being drafted by CNRL or some crapco or the Calgary Flames. Sorry to break it to you, the Flames are a pretty crappy team to be drafted by.

We should be proud the Flames handled this the way they did but the player used his god given right to look elsewhere. He's probably pretty sick of being forced into decisions he had no choice over.

If I was in the top percentiles of my profession and had the choice of 31 other places, I don't think I'd choose Calgary. 4 months a year the climate can murder you. Why? But we have lots of Vietnamese restaurants. We are just a little better than Edmonton and Winnipeg.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Hackey

Taking a 1 year deal would have made most sense. You take a one year deal and prove your worth and you get a nice multi year deal after. Expecting a multi year deal after missing 2 seasons seems crazy. I don't see how the Flames are at fault here at all. The player or agent screwed up.

Yeah. This isn't a mental health issue at this point, treat it like any other injury. A player who was a UFA who played less than 1/2 of the previous two seasons as a result of injury, who is not an established major star, is likely only getting a 1 year deal. That's just risk management on the part of the teams.

And in any negotiation holding out for more than you're reasonably going to get is a bad plan, because eventually the other parties will make other plans and you get left in the cold.

[All In Good Time]

Such an incredibly tough journey/story that is looking like it will have a good chance at a decent ending
and
incredibly clueless posters who keep digging a hole for their reputation

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by fotze2

It's weird we want our athletes to have this nonsense loyalty and give up rights we all have and use daily.

When a co-worker quits to go somewhere else we usually say "take me with you" not "you're a fataing piece of crap".

But he was drafted by the flames. The honor!!! Draft is not a benefit to players, its a sentence. It reduces your options from 32 to 1 for many years. Imagine being drafted by CNRL or some crapco or the Calgary Flames. Sorry to break it to you, the Flames are a pretty crappy team to be drafted by.

We should be proud the Flames handled this the way they did but the player used his god given right to look elsewhere. He's probably pretty sick of being forced into decisions he had no choice over.

If I was in the top percentiles of my profession and had the choice of 31 other places, I don't think I'd choose Calgary. 4 months a year the climate can murder you. Why? But we have lots of Vietnamese restaurants. We are just a little better than Edmonton and Winnipeg.

This is fascinating.

Most fans on boards like this are here because of team loyalty, baked in from decades of faithfulness to the Flames. That's a pretty strong and fundamental core value. A lot of the angry comments come from people who feel like their most important value placed on this team has been trampled on.

There are a lot more complexities to this situation, so folks should probably be a little more reasonable, but it's not an unexpected or even an unreasonable response in the context of their main value here.

It's also nothing like work. You're at work typically to feel important, to gain success or (and) to make money. If someone peace outs to go to a better opportunity, you're "take me with you" response aligns with your work values (they're likely leaving for one or more of those three reasons).

In the context of values, you're basically kind of validating the "get the **** out of here" response in this case with the work reference.

Personally, I'm both annoyed that he didn't show loyalty and sign whatever contract the Flames put in front of him. And I'm totally alright with him moving on because it might be the best thing for him.

[Redlan]

Where to start with this mess?

Originally Posted by fotze2

It's weird we want our athletes to have this nonsense loyalty and give up rights we all have and use daily.

What rights do athletes give up? I will answer that for you…None. They may give up a few conveniences but they are afforded many privileges to make up for it.

Originally Posted by fotze2

When a co-worker quits to go somewhere else we usually say "take me with you" not "you're a fataing piece of crap".

Co-worker? Really? Kylington is not a co-worker and as a fan I have more invested in the team and the city so please “ask Oliver to take you with him” to Colorado. And no-one called him a piece of crap.

Originally Posted by fotze2

But he was drafted by the flames. The honor!!! Draft is not a benefit to players, its a sentence. It reduces your options from 32 to 1 for many years. Imagine being drafted by CNRL or some crapco or the Calgary Flames. Sorry to break it to you, the Flames are a pretty crappy team to be drafted by.

Being drafted at the NHL entry draft is an honor, watch the reactions of the players and their families and tell me they believe it is a sentence. They have no obligation to attend the draft; they can outright denounce the process and say they will not report to a team if drafted. There has been precedents: Eric Lindros indicated he would not sign with Quebec, Adam Fox and Tim Erixon both had New York as their destination of choice (maybe Kevin Hayes as well), Cutter Gauthier ghosted the Flyers, Jarret Stoll and Matthew Lombardi reentered the Draft, Justin Schultz became a free agent by playing out 4 years of college. As far as the Flames are concerned Hunter Brzustewicz signed pretty quick when given the opportunity after failing to come to an agreement with the Canucks.

Originally Posted by fotze2

We should be proud the Flames handled this the way they did but the player used his god given right to look elsewhere. He's probably pretty sick of being forced into decisions he had no choice over.

What was he forced into? Oh the hyperbole! But you are right for the first time in this mess, the Flames handed the situation admirably and it is Oliver’s right to look elsewhere (god given…lol… or otherwise).

Originally Posted by fotze2

If I was in the top percentiles of my profession and had the choice of 31 other places, I don't think I'd choose Calgary. 4 months a year the climate can murder you. Why? But we have lots of Vietnamese restaurants. We are just a little better than Edmonton and Winnipeg.

The thing is Oliver may be in the top percentile in his profession in the world but in the NHL he has proven to be an unreliable replacement level player. Let me say that again… ”in the NHL he has proven to be an unreliable replacement level player”. He almost played himself out of an NHL job with how he went about free agency. And the weather…that is your reason for not choosing Calgary? That has not stopped many Flames Alumni, including U.S. born players to make Calgary their home even after being traded to warmer climates during their careers. I love the climate; backpacking, hiking, fishing canoeing and kayaking in the summer. In the winter I can ski at world renown resorts, snowshoe, hike, ice fish and back-country ski. It is just so simple and pedestrian to dictate where you live on climate, so many other factors I would use to base my own happiness.

Do not get me wrong, I like what Kylington brought on the ice and thought there was more to him but there was a distraction there as well, a distraction the team does not need. I have moved on and you should too.

[Macindoc]

Flames supported and protected Kylington for almost 2 full years of his contract, walking him right to free agency, then offered him what reportedly was a better deal than he eventually signed. You can say he doesn’t owe the team anything, but I doubt that most teams would have been as supportive as the Flames were, knowing they were doing it all for Kylington’s benefit alone. To sign a 1 year “show me” contract with the Flames would have been a reasonable reciprocation.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by fotze2

It's weird we want our athletes to have this nonsense loyalty and give up rights we all have and use daily.

When a co-worker quits to go somewhere else we usually say "take me with you" not "you're a fataing piece of crap".

But he was drafted by the flames. The honor!!! Draft is not a benefit to players, its a sentence. It reduces your options from 32 to 1 for many years. Imagine being drafted by CNRL or some crapco or the Calgary Flames. Sorry to break it to you, the Flames are a pretty crappy team to be drafted by.

We should be proud the Flames handled this the way they did but the player used his god given right to look elsewhere. He's probably pretty sick of being forced into decisions he had no choice over.

If I was in the top percentiles of my profession and had the choice of 31 other places, I don't think I'd choose Calgary. 4 months a year the climate can murder you. Why? But we have lots of Vietnamese restaurants. We are just a little better than Edmonton and Winnipeg.

If he had actually played the last 2 years then yes he would have earned the right to do whatever he wished, including asking for a multi year deal. But if my company had paid my full wage for 2 years while I sat at home I wouldn't come back to work with demands. Expecting a multi year deal after a 2 year hiatus is like coming back to work after 2 years off and asking for a raise. You don't reciprocate loyalty because they drafted you, you reciprocate it because they did everything they could for you when they didn't have to. Luckily he's a bottom 6 guy so it's not really a major loss. I'm sure fans would feel differently if it was a top end player.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Macindoc

To sign a 1 year “show me” contract with the Flames would have been a reasonable reciprocation.

Yup, but if your horrific family situation also involves you being financially ruined, things can feel desperate and you try find a way out of it. Being wiped out of all your money isn't good for your mental health.

There is no question there was a bad, unrealistic gamble here, and in retrospect Kylington may wish he signed a couple years with the Flames instead. What's the guy to do now though? Learn, and move on.

[Meers]

The Flames organization treated this guy extremely well. He didn’t reciprocate, probably based on bad advice from his agent. Not a great look for Kylington, but not worthy of excoriation.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by Hackey

If he had actually played the last 2 years then yes he would have earned the right to do whatever he wished, including asking for a multi year deal. But if my company had paid my full wage for 2 years while I sat at home I wouldn't come back to work with demands. Expecting a multi year deal after a 2 year hiatus is like coming back to work after 2 years off and asking for a raise. You don't reciprocate loyalty because they drafted you, you reciprocate it because they did everything they could for you when they didn't have to. Luckily he's a bottom 6 guy so it's not really a major loss. I'm sure fans would feel differently if it was a top end player.

Hear you. But if the longer multi-year deal offered by another team is true, then i'm pretty sure almost everyone here would take the certainty of a contract that sets you up for life after almost leaving the game with nothing.

I just can't fault him for that. Sucks we didn't benefit from some allegiance, but the offer away was too good.

He would have given us first right of refusal to match i imagine. We couldn't and shouldn't.

The agent should have ferreted out the strength of the long term contract offer. #### show.

I would surmise the Flames would have provided him with the same or better money over a similar term but depending on his health and renewal of 2 year contracts. Risky.

A fantastic consolation prize? The reputation of this team as one that cares and takes care of its players is ROCK solid after this. Great as a fan to know we are cheering for good folks. And it's something that matters when players want to sign/re-sign.

[Amethyst]

Either:

-He wanted a multi-year deal, Flames offered 1, he decided to try free agency. Flames found someone else and moved on. He didn't find the multi-year deal he wanted, Flames option was now gone, so he accepted something else.

-He wanted to play somewhere else. Maybe there's a Calgary connection with his personal struggles, maybe he didn't want to spend every day around people who knew every painful detail, maybe he wanted to go somewhere where hockey players can be a little more anonymous?

Neither one seems like a reason to hate him.