It's been a few seasons since Oliver Kylington was playing his best hockey, but that doesn't mean he can't find that spark again. As the Ottawa Senators head into training camp, Kylington could be a good low-cost, low-risk option to add some veteran presence on the bottom pairing.
The Senators' defensive lineup could be their biggest strength
Heading into the 2026-27 season, the Ottawa Senators do have six defenders currently on the roster. The top four is made up of a strong and experienced group of players, including Jake Sanderson, Artem Zub, and Thomas Chabot. Jordan Spence, who joined the Senators last year from the Los Angeles Kings, likely rounds out the right side of that second pair.
According to PuckPedia, the bottom pair for the Senators is Tyler Kleven and Carter Yakemchuk. Kleven, who enters the season in the last year of his contract, had a strong 2025-26 season. Yakemchuk, the Senators' seventh overall pick in 2024, spent four regular-season games with the team last season. His one playoff game saw him post two assists, and many think he's ready to make the jump to full-time next season.
The Senators do have a number of defenders in the minors who will likely be fighting for a seventh pairing spot or to displace the bottom pairing guys.
Oliver Kylington is worth a shot
Kylington's best NHL season came in the 2021-22 season as a member of the Calgary Flames. His nine goals and 23 assists made him the third-most productive Flames defender that season, behind Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. He got second-pairing minutes and was one of the Flames' best defenders that season.
However, that season seems to be a bit of an anomaly for him. During his seven years with the Flames, he regularly played on the bottom pairing and often split time between the AHL and the NHL. He missed the entire 2022-23 season on personal leave. Since he left the Flames, he played a split season with the Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks in 2024-25, before heading to Sweden to play last season. He had eight points in 25 games with Djurgärdens IF.
Kylington's game hasn't been as strong as it was before he took a leave of absence, but if a team can help him to unlock that offensive game again, he could be a good fit.
Why should the Senators sign Kylington to a PTO?
The short answer: they've got nothing to lose. A Professional Tryout Offer (PTO) lets the team pick up an unrestricted free agent and keep them for 25 games before releasing or signing them. In the case of someone like Kylington, it's a great way to see how a player may look in the lineup without having to commit to anything long-term.
If Kylington isn't a fit, the team can simply release him. But if he can prove he's ready to be playing some minutes in the NHL again, it could be a steal for the Senators. Even in seasons when Kylington wasn't producing on the score sheet, he still logged good defensive minutes and is a strong, physical defender.
Kylington hasn't said whether he's looking to come back to the NHL, and it looks like some other teams may have interest in him as well, so the Senators will have to act fast if they want to take advantage.
Add us as a preferred source on Google