Worst of luck: Just as he amps up, Dylan Holloway likely out "longer term"

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Worst of luck: Just as he amps up, Dylan Holloway likely out "longer term"

Posted By: jasabacklink November 14, 2023

Just as he got going this 2023-24, playing his best game as an Edmonton Oiler on Saturday, Dylan Holloway is now injured and will likely be out “longer term.”

In Monday’s game, Holloway lost his footing towards the end of the second period and slid hard into the boards, legs first.

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“I don’t know specifically, I think it will be longer term, but how long we’re not sure,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch told media on Tuesday.

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Knoblauch said that injured forward Connor Brown is testing his own fitness. It’s not yet known if he’ll play tomorrow but he was out on the ice on Tuesday.

My take

1. When Holloway was first attempting to break into the NHL he was set back by an injury to his scaphoid bone in his wrist, requiring two different surgeries in March and September of 2021. This limited his play to 38 games in Bakersfield that year, and all but took away any chance of making the Oilers.

2. Holloway was again banged up last season, missing about a month of play at near end of the regular season, time he could have used in Bakersfield to launch him into regular play in the 2023 playoffs. But the injury set him back and he got no such opportunity.

3. Holloway has all the tools to be Top 6 winger in the NHL. He’s fast, skilled, got good size and is aggressive. He’s yet to put all that together consistently in the NHL. He’s got just 10 points in 65 games. But he’s shown many glimpses of the player he might well become.

4. Even with just one goal and no assists in 14 games, Holloway was holding his own as a two-way player in the NHL this year, playing solid defensive hockey.

5. Injury, and fighting through injury, is a big part of professional sport. Fingers crossed the issue isn’t too serious and Holloway can battle back quickly here. As it now stands, it looks like another injured player, Connor Brown, might be ready to get back into the line-up. Brown missed almost all of last season with a torn ACL in his knee. He’s yet to find anywhere close to his “A” game in Edmonton, but that, too, could still happen in coming weeks.

P.S. The NHL fined Leon Draisaitl $5000 for his slash on Bo Horvat. Fair?

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