As the 2023–24 NHL season draws to an end as the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers continue to battle for the league’s top prize, supporters of the clubs who have already been eliminated are probably watching, jealous of what might have been for their individual teams. Furthermore, it seems that some players make their name for themselves in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, or use the high-stakes arena as a springboard for their eagerly anticipated breakthrough.
After spending the better part of two seasons residing on the fourth line with less-than-ideal linemates, Dylan Holloway, the Oilers’ 2020 14th overall pick, has finally emerged as an established middle-six forward with an even greater ceiling. The former Wisconsin Badger helped the Oilers defeat the Panthers 8-1 to force a Game 5 in what may have been the best performance of his young career. He scored two goals and added an assist. After being given more playing time and developing a rapport with Leon Draisaitl, Holloway, who had only scored nine goals in 89 career regular season games, has burst forth with five goals and seven points in 22 postseason games.
Even with his rise to prominence and better linemates, he still plays less than 12 minutes on the ice per game on average. In the Oilers’ Game 3 defeat, he played a mere 5:24 minutes, his lowest postseason total. Despite the fact that he has had few opportunity to play with better attackers, he has demonstrated his ability to play with superior speed, as seen by his stunning opening goal in Game 4.
General manager Kent Hughes and colleagues appear intent on purchasing inexpensive on these kinds of players with high promise, as the Montreal Canadiens have demonstrated by adding two young forwards who are battling to get enough opportunities. In terms of offensive production, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook had both fallen short of expectations for their previous clubs a little bit, but they went on to set career highs in their debut season in Montreal.
Holloway’s career has progressed similarly, although he has suffered far more and hasn’t had many chances to show off his abilities until this postseason. During this past regular season, his average ice time increased from just 9:35 in 2022–2023 to 11:22. The 22-year-old missed three months of play this season due to a lower-body ailment, and he also sustained an extended wrist injury following his sophomore season in college.
The time for Hughes and company to buy cheap may be running out since he is now fully healthy and establishing his worth on a Cup-contending team. Although he hasn’t quite made his breakthrough, he seems to be on the right track, and his lack of opportunities so far indicates that the cost to sign him might not be prohibitively high—that is, assuming the Oilers are open to receiving bids.
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