With the 2023-24 NHL season winding down to a close as the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers continue to fight for hockey’s biggest prize, fans of already-eliminated teams are likely tuning in, envious of what could have been for their respective team of choosing. Additionally, the Stanley Cup Playoffs always seem to be the stage where certain players establish themselves as stars, or perhaps utilize the high-stakes stage as a platform for their long-awaited breakout.
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For the Oilers, 2020 14th overall pick Dylan Holloway has finally emerged as an established middle-six forward with an even higher ceiling after spending the better part of two seasons dwelling on the fourth line with less-than-ideal linemates. The former Wisconsin Badger is fresh off of what was perhaps the best game of his young career, scoring two goals and adding an assist in the Oilers’ 8-1 rout of the Panthers to force a Game 5. Finding chemistry with Leon Draisaitl after receiving the opportunity to play higher in the lineup, Holloway has broken out for five goals and seven points in 22 playoff games after scoring just nine goals in 89 career regular season games.
Despite his emergence and increased quality of linemates, he still averages under 12 minutes of ice time per game. He played just 5:24 in the Oilers’ Game 3 loss, which marked his lowest total of the postseason. Known for his blazing speed (as evidenced by his beautiful first goal in Game 4), he has proven that he is capable of playing with higher-quality forwards despite the opportunities being few and far between.
Holloway Potentially a Dach/Newhook-type of Acquisition?
As the Montreal Canadiens have displayed by acquiring two young forwards struggling to receive adequate opportunities, general manager Kent Hughes and company seem to be keen on buying low on these types of players with great potential. Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook had both slightly underwhelmed compared to expectations for their former clubs in terms of offensive output, and went on to establish career-highs in their first season with Montreal.
Holloway has followed a similar trajectory, though has struggled far more and has received virtually zero opportunity to display his skillset until this postseason. His average ice time increased from just 9:35 in 2022-23 to 11:22 during this past regular season. The 22-year-old suffered an extended wrist injury after his sophomore season in college, and also missed three months of action this season due to a lower-body injury.
Now fully healthy and proving his value on a Cup-contending squad, the time to buy low may be running out for Hughes and company. He has yet to fully break out, though he appears to be trending that way and his lack of opportunity thus far suggests the price to acquire him may not be sky-high — that is, if the Oilers are willing to listen to offers on him.
Chemistry with Cole Caufield
Holloway played both of his seasons at the University of Wisconsin alongside Habs star Cole Caufield. Caufield notably won the Hobey Baker Award in 2020-21 as college hockey’s MVP, though Holloway certainly had a strong season himself. While evidently, Caufield was the one scoring the majority of the goals with 30 in just 31 games, Holloway managed 24 assists and 35 points in just 23 games — actually producing the third-highest points-per-game in the country behind Caufield and Quinnipiac’s Odeen Tufto.
It’s no secret that the consensus for the Canadiens is addressing their need for a top-six forward, with an influx of options such as Martin Necas, Trevor Zegras, Patrik Laine, or Nikolaj Ehlers all available via trade. However, Holloway would come at just a fraction of the cost of any of those players and while it remains undetermined that he will reach his potential as a top-six NHL forward, his slew of strong playoff performances are beginning to convince doubters. He’s overcome a nearly season-long injury where he underwent two separate surgeries after failing to fully recover from the first and is proving why the Oilers selected him with a mid-first-round pick.
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While there remains a wide variety of options to fill out the top of the Habs’ forward group, Holloway would be a terrific low-cost, underrated addition. He certainly would not cost a premium such as a first-round pick plus a highly-touted prospect that the aforementioned trade options would likely command — perhaps more in the realm of a similar reclamation project-type player along with a draft pick or B-level prospect. He may not fulfill the role of a top-six forward immediately, but the need is not immediate as the team’s rebuild remains in progress. While it also remains entirely possible that the Oilers want to keep him following a strong playoff performance, his emergence could show Canadiens fans what a potential Holloway-Caufield connection may look like should this wishful thinking actually come to fruition.
