BLOG: Holloway hoping to continue having a positive impact

EDMONTON, AB – As Dylan Holloway pulled himself up and off the ice from blocking a shot off his wrist in the third period of Wednesday’s opening-night loss to the Canucks, both the player and fans might’ve been expecting the worst.

The 22-year-old has been hindered by injuries at this early point of his career, dating back to his time with the NCAA’s University of Wisconsin Badgers when he underwent the first of two scaphoid surgeries on his wrist back in March and September 2021.

But to everyone’s relief, concerns over Edmonton’s 2020 first-round pick quickly subsided, keeping his status for Saturday’s rematch at Rogers Place between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks firmly intact after he exited Wednesday’s defeat in the third period following the blocked shot.

“It was my bad wrist,” Holloway said on Friday about his injury scare. “I had two surgeries on that wrist, and it kind of caught me right in the bone, which is close, and it hurt a lot. I just thought I messed it up again.

“But thankfully, the X-ray showed no break. It's a little sore, but it's nothing that'll keep me out.”

The Calgary, AB product didn’t hesitate to sacrifice the body and step in front of the shot when the Oilers were facing a sizeable 7-1 deficit near the midway mark of the final frame. Despite the lopsided scoreline, he wasn’t about to compromise his compete level.

“On that one, I was trying to get in front of it, but I think going forward I'll try and cover it a bit,” he added. “I think the biggest part is just getting in front of those. I know it's a 7-1 game, but I’ve still got to compete.”

Holloway understands that those types of efforts will need to be commonplace when operating in a bottom-six role, where he’s begun the season on a line alongside Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele.

The trio’s performance was a bright spot in Wednesday’s defeat in Vancouver, with McLeod’s return to the lineup after being held out for the entire preseason due to injury bringing some extra speed to a line that has the tools necessary to succeed – with Holloway's offensive skill being one of its biggest assets.

“As an overall team game it wasn't our best obviously, but as a line, I thought we buzzed around a little bit,” Holloway said. “I think it's just something we can build on and something that will kind of make our identity as a line that plays fast and forechecks hard.”

“I thought they had a few scoring chances,” Head Coach Jay Woodcroft added. “All of them were used on the penalty kill. Dylan's minutes got cut in the last ten or so when he left the bench, but he appears to be fine here today, so that's good news.

“I thought they gave us good minutes. They should feel happy with their game.”

Making something happen every shift is what Holloway hopes to accomplish in his third-line minutes – whether that’s turning the tide by blocking a shot or coming up with an impactful offensive play.

“That's definitely the goal,” he said. “Obviously I only play twelve minutes, which is completely fine, but when you're not playing a top-line role, you have to try and have an impact every shift. So definitely what I’m trying to do is have an impact every shift. I just try and play my best.”

Holloway provided a stand-out performance in Training Camp over the past month and feels more at home in the Oilers lineup this time around. The winger recorded three goals and six assists in 51 NHL games last season before being assigned to the Bakersfield Condors, where he posted seven goals and three assists in 12 AHL games before an upper-body injury ended his campaign.

“I know what to expect from teams,” he said. “Obviously, every team's a good team. All the players are hard to play against, so there are no easy nights and I think that just comes a lot from preparation. I think that's one thing I learned a lot last year is preparing for every game physically, but also mentally.”