We look at the latest update on the status of Oilers forward Dylan Holloway, who was forced to leave the season opener with an apparent wrist injury.
Everyone associated with the Oilers, is well aware their season opener in Vancouver was a complete tire fire. The 8-1 loss was not even remotely anticipated, in a game where they were thoroughly outplayed by the Canucks.
One of the few positives on the night, was the play of Dylan Holloway. He put in an exemplary high-energy effort, as he was all over the ice taking shots, blocking them and just overall not letting the team performance get him down.
Of course, in a game where little went right for the Oilers, it almost made sense that Holloway got injured. He was forced to leave the game in the third period, after blocking a shot with his wrist.
The 22-year-old didn’t return, leading to understandable concern about the severity of his injury. Fortunately for the Oilers however, the latest news is encouraging.
Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, coach Jay Woodcroft provided an update on Holloway’s injury. He said:
"“I saw Dylan. I haven’t talked to the doctors yet, but I don’t anticipate (the injury) being anything major at all. I expect him to play on Saturday night.”"
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Pending the conversation with the doctors, this is certainly good news for the Oilers. Especially when considering all the injury issues the team has been dealing with of late.
The Oilers have high hopes for Holloway, who they selected 14th overall in the 2020 NHL draft. He was on the third line for the season opener in Vancouver, with the belief he will eventually move into a top six role.
Certainly, the Calgary, Alberta native has the potential to be a major part of the Oilers moving forward. He’s big, versatile and a strong two-way player.
For his part, Holloway has confidence in his abilities to succeed. Speaking to the media at the beginning of training camp, he said:
"“I definitely set goals for myself. I know our team’s pretty stacked up front, but I just (want) to crack the team and have a good role this season, so that’s what I’m focused on. I’ve just got to play my game.”"
Holloway made his NHL debut last season and went on to score nine points (three goals and six assists) in 51 games. Expect him to be more productive in 2023-24.