The St. Louis Blues are getting a much-needed boost as they head out on a three-game road trip, and it comes in the form of a familiar face returning to the lineup. Forward Dylan Holloway is set to rejoin the team for Sunday’s matchup against the Edmonton Oilers - the very organization that once drafted him.
Holloway, 24, has been sidelined for the past 15 games due to a right ankle injury, but he’s ready to get back in the mix. Before the injury, he had tallied eight goals and nine assists in 33 games this season - a solid contribution for a player still carving out his role with the Blues.
And let’s not forget, this is the same player who broke out last season with 26 goals and 63 points over 77 games. That kind of production doesn’t just happen by accident - Holloway has the skill and motor to be a difference-maker.
Sunday’s return carries a little extra weight, too. Not only is it a chance for Holloway to shake off the rust and help the Blues during a critical stretch, but it also marks his first game back in Edmonton since leaving the Oilers.
Drafted 14th overall in 2020 out of Wisconsin, Holloway’s early pro career was slowed by wrist surgery and a bout with COVID-19, but he eventually found his footing in the AHL with Bakersfield. He put up 22 points in 33 games during the 2021-22 season and would go on to appear in 89 NHL games for Edmonton, finishing with 18 points in that span.
His time in the Oilers organization also included another 30 games in the AHL, where he added 17 goals and 26 points.
But the real turning point came ahead of the 2024-25 season. The Blues saw something in Holloway and extended him a two-year, $4.58 million offer sheet while he was a restricted free agent.
Edmonton chose not to match, and just like that, Holloway was headed to St. Louis, with the Oilers receiving a third-round pick as compensation.
Now, as he returns from injury and gears up for the second half of the season, Holloway will look to build on what he started last year. He’s scheduled to become a restricted free agent again after this season, so the stakes are high - not just for his contract future, but for a Blues team still trying to find its rhythm.
With 46 points through 48 games, St. Louis sits sixth in the Central Division and five points back of a playoff spot. The margin for error is shrinking, and getting a player like Holloway back in the lineup could be a key piece to any second-half push.
After Sunday’s game in Edmonton, the Blues will continue their road swing with a stop in Winnipeg on Tuesday. Every point matters now, and with Holloway back in the fold, the Blues are hoping this is the start of a much-needed surge.