The Colorado Avalanche are seventh in the central division after playing 12 games and getting just 10 points in that time. Unfortunately, they have been hampered by injuries, forcing head coach Jared Bednar to shake things up line-wise. One of those line changes included Oliver Kylington going from defense to a forward.
I’ll admit, I don’t really notice Kylington on the ice a whole lot. That should be telling, though, since a forward’s job is to crash the net and put shots on the opposing team’s goaltender. Kylington has played in just four games this season. Do you know how many shots he has put on the net in those four games?
Zero.
Sure, it’s not as if he’s on the top two lines where shooting the puck is a necessity. But, what else has he done? It just feels like the Colorado Avalanche have a roster spot taken up by a guy who has no business being on a team that is trying to get back to its winning ways.
I’ve found endless amounts of comments in the form of X posts asking the same questions. Why is Kylington around? What does he actually bring to the table?
Kylington is even more clueless as a forward than he is as a D man. #GoAvsGo
— Sedgie (@SedgieRN) October 31, 2024
Oliver Kylington shouldn't play another game with the Avs after these two goals. Just absolutely pathetic to be standing still like this watching your guy and then do it again a shift later. Garbage effort doesn't belong anywhere near the NHL pic.twitter.com/gwOcZHwvQP
— Dude Where's Makar (@joelthesakic) October 31, 2024
The Avalanche are trying to make things work. Bednar is trying different things. Alongside Kylington’s move to forward, Bednar had Cale Makar listed on the second defensive pairing the other day.
I’d like to see players on this team that are actually going to do something. They need to produce, even if it’s just a couple of goals and shots. That’s more than Kylington is contributing to for the team.
Kylington has 17 goals in 205 career games. He began his career in Calgary in 2015 as a second-round pick in 2015. I’m not sure what Bednar sees in him, but I’d love to hear an answer to that topic. Maybe Bednar can change my mind and not wish that we had someone else in Kylington’s place.