Dylan Holloway has joined the St. Louis Blues courtesy of an offer sheet. Now that he is officially a Blue, we will take a look at his role with the team.
Holloway Is One of Two New Blues
Holloway and defenceman Philip Broberg were tendered offer sheets by the Blues last week. The Edmonton Oilers decided to not match the offer sheets to either player. As a result, Holloway and Broberg are now members of the Blues.
The Holloway We Know So Far
Holloway has played in 89 NHL games in two seasons. The forward has scored nine goals and added nine assists. It is a small sample size. However, Holloway’s scouting report suggests he can be an offensive asset. Holloway’s stickhandling ability allows him to make plays at top speed. As such, Holloway can be dangerous off the rush. He also has a strong shot. Furthermore, he is a physical player who will go to the front of the net to try and create an opportunity off a rebound.
In the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Holloway was a 40-goal scorer. Since that season, he has not scored more than 11 goals at any level. However, he has had productive seasons, including his last year at the University of Wisconsin, where he had 35 points in 23 games. So, there is hope that the 22-year old can find the goal-scoring touch in the NHL.
Role With the Blues
Holloway’s scouting report suggests he can be a top-six forward for the Blues. However, his sample size in the NHL does not suggest he is ready for that role. In addition, the Blues top-six seems to be set. Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Jake Neighbours, Pavel Buchnevich, Brayden Schenn, and Brandon Saad all expect to be on the top-two lines.
As a result, Holloway seems more likely to start the season on the Blues third line. While the Blues have multiple options on the bottom-six, very few are absolute “must have” in the lineup. Furthermore, the third line may be the right fit for Holloway. Radek Faksa is likely to be the third-line centre. Faksa is great on faceoffs, and his veteran experience would help Holloway as he develops his game.
Holloway’s physical style of play will also make him an asset to the bottom-six lines. Holloway can fill the role that Ivan Barbashev once did. That role being a physical player, who can make plays on both ends of the ice. If the Blues could get that from Holloway, then they will be more than satisfied.
Top-Six Opportunities Could Emerge
While it makes the most sense right for Holloway to start the season on the third line, there are ways in which he could fit on the top-six. For starters, captain Brayden Schenn is a physical player as well and has played on the middle six before. The Blues could experiment with Schenn and Holloway switching spots. Doing so would give Holloway more time to work on a line with offensive-minded players. Furthermore, the Blues may consider using Pavel Buchnevich as the second-line centre. Playing alongside Buchnevich could be beneficial to Holloway. Buchnevich has emerged as an elite scorer since joining the Blues. He is also a physical player on both ends of the ice and can create plays from it.
In addition, injuries and/or ineffectiveness could create opportunities for Holloway on the top six. The Blues oddly did not have to deal with the injury bug too much last season. One may say that they are due. Regarding ineffectiveness, Jake Neighbours is coming off a breakout season and will be heading into the new season with expectations to replicate it. Should he struggle, Holloway could be asked to fill that spot on the second line.
Options, Options, So Many Options
The Blues surprised many people last week by tendering the offer sheets. However, for a team that is retooling, it is never a bad thing to have as many options as possible on the roster. Holloway is just another option among the forwards. It will be really interesting to see who takes advantage of the opportunity.
Main photo: Yannick Peterhans-USA TODAY Sports
