The Edmonton Oilers have two of the greatest offensive talents in the NHL right now, but they also have one of the most exciting young forwards in college. When the Oilers made their selection with the 14th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, they opted to take a 19-year-old Alberta native who had already completed his freshman year with the University of Wisconsin.
Dylan Holloway took a route that is becoming increasingly popular among prospects in the Canadian junior system, playing for the Okotok Oilers of the AJHL – the level below major juniors, which allowed him to head to college; something not permitted to WHL players.
This early career path already looks to be doing wonders for the Calgary native’s development and the Oilers could have a truly top talent in their system, ready to make the jump up to the NHL in the very near future.
Dylan Holloway Dominating College Hockey
The 6-foot-1, 203lbs left-shooting forward had a good first year playing NCAA hockey, registering eight goals and 17 total points in 35 regular season games for the Badgers. This was good enough to entice the Oilers to take him with 14th overall pick, with his AJHL career prior to the jump up to college having seen him score 51 goals and register 115 total points in just 83 games.
But this year, Holloway has taken his development a step further – starting with representing Team Canada at the World Junior Championships in, interestingly, Edmonton. In six games, Holloway scored a goal and had an additional assist as he helped his country to a silver medal.
This international success has coincided with some stellar performances in his sophomore campaign in Wisconsin, where Holloway has already outscored his efforts from last year. His eight goals and 21 assists have Holloway currently tied for the third-highest total points in the NCAA this year, while having played eight games fewer than the player he is tied with; fellow Badger Linus Weissbach.
His 1.81 points per game pace currently has Holloway heading towards a 63 point season if he appears in 35 games, matching his rookie year in Wisconsin. His current scoring pace is also higher than anyone in the top 100 points producers in the league, which has undoubtedly been a contributing factor to his nomination for the Hobey Baker Award.
Holloway looks to be a top young talent that the Oilers will be hoping can make the transition into the NHL in the near future, especially considering the impressive performances he has already put in over the past two seasons.
The Oilers have not yet signed Holloway to an entry-level contract, needing to do so by August 2023, which will allow the organisation to manage how much time he will have on his initial deal once he is truly ready to make the jump up to the top professional league.
Holloway is one for the future, but with his strong play so far, that future could be a lot closer than initially anticipated and it could well be a very bright one if his development continues to be managed appropriately.