Focus will soon turn to pending UFA defenceman Oliver Kylington, but Flames do not feel rushed

The Calgary Flames haven’t traded away all of their pending unrestricted free-agents. Centre Kevin Rooney was re-signed with a one-year extension, a $1.3 million deal that basically adds another season to the two-year pact he joined the franchise via free agency in the summer of 2022.

Rooney suffered a shoulder injury in practice on the eve of the season and needed surgery. After a stint in the minors, he was recalled after the all-star break and has netted one goal in 13 NHL outings.

“Kevin did an amazing job,” general manager Craig Conroy said. “Right now, he’s playing in a fourth-line role, but he’s on our first penalty kill with Backs (Mikael Backlund) and done a great job. He’s done what we thought he was going to do the year before, and we couldn’t be happier. He earned the extension.”

The signing leaves the Flames with three pending UFAs on their roster, injured forward A.J. Greer and a pair of defencemen in Dennis Gilbert and Oliver Kylington. Kylington, who missed more than a season and a half while dealing with his mental health, is expected to eventually ink a new deal.

“I wanted to make sure Oliver felt comfortable,” Conroy said. “It's been a long year and a half. We’ve reached out to his agent just to see where he feels and if he if he wants to continue to do this. It’s a little bit different than everyone else, because you’re really just thinking about him right now. You just want to make sure he’s happy, he wants to continue to play and look at how well he’s playing. So hopefully … we get something done.”

In 15 games since returning, Kylington has collected two goals, one assist and a plus-6 rating. Kylington has spoke of his appreciation for the organization’s support while he worked through his issues. In turn, it’s believed a deal is more likely than the fruitless negotiations that resulted in four players being traded away during this season.

“I’m hoping so. We have a great relationship. There’s no issue,” Conroy said. “I want to make sure this is something he wants to do moving forward. And it seems like he’s having fun. I don’t want to pressure him in any way, but I think he's playing really really well for us. So I couldn’t be more happy, I hope he feels the same way.”

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