January 8, 2021 by Eric Friesen

Edmonton Oilers’ top prospect Dylan Holloway practiced with his new teammates at Rogers Place on Friday.

Holloway, who underwent successful wrist surgery on September 14, 2021, was expected to miss a minimum of three months of action. Just under four months later, Holloway finally participated in his first full practice with the Oilers.

Per Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, Holloway skated on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele in practice after Kailer Yamamoto was placed on COVID-19 protocol.

“Holloway was an excited kid out there today, especially when Yamamoto got pulled and he went right to Draisaitl’s line,” said Tippet in an interview with Oilers TV on Friday. “He’s been working hard. I give him credit, he skates everyday here with David Pelletier. Today, he was in practice, but it was non-contact for him. So, he’s getting close [to playing again]. Hopefully he gets an opportunity soon, whether it’s down in Bakersfield, or here.”

Holloway made major strides in the NCAA

Selected 14th overall by the Oilers in the 2020 NHL Draft, Holloway took a significant step forward in his sophomore season with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers in 2020-21. He finished fourth in the NCAA in assists (24) and fifth in points (35) in 23 games last season, and helped the Badgers claim the NCAA Big Ten Regular Season title.

Holloway was named to the NCAA Big Ten First All-Star Team and was a finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA top collegiate player. The Calgary native also played for Team Canada in the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton. He had one goal and one assist in the tournament and took home a silver medal.

Unfortunately, Holloway suffered a scaphoid fracture against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten tournament that required surgery with a specialist in Chicago. After GM Ken Holland strongly encouraged him to turn pro, the Oilers signed Holloway to a three-year, entry-level contract with a $925,000 cap hit on April 16, 2021.

Holloway joined the Bakersfield Condors for the AHL Pacific Division playoffs in May, but was unable to play due to his injury two months earlier. By August, Holloway still couldn’t shoot the puck, or take draws, which ultimately led to him having a second surgery in Edmonton.

How close is Holloway to being NHL ready?

The 20-year-old has an excellent combination of intelligence, puck skills, size and skating ability, making him a real option to play in the NHL this season. Still, the Oilers don’t want to rush him to the league before he is ready.

“He hasn’t played in a long time, so I think it’s more leaning towards him going down to get some games in Bakersfield, especially with us having very limited games in the next little while,” said Tippett. “His skating is elite, but his wrist has bothered him for a long time, so it will take him a while to get his puck skills back. But he looks good out there.”

It’s been more than nine months since Holloway last played in a game, so I expect he will need at least 20 games with the Condors before joining the Oilers. But with the Oilers only scheduled to play one game in the next 12 days, he will have a great opportunity to get in some valuable practice time against NHL players.

While injuries have delayed his development, Holloway will still be the most skilled player on the Condors when he arrives there. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound left-winger could be a good fit with Cooper Marody and Seth Griffith, who are both averaging more than a point-per-game in the AHL this season.

The Oilers will surely be looking to add depth at the trade deadline, but they might have an internal option in Holloway, too.