Snapshots: Holloway, Corrado, Playoffs
The Edmonton Oilers won’t have Dylan Holloway in the lineup this season as his entry-level contract starts next year, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get a close look at him in the meantime. The young forward has signed an amateur tryout with the Bakersfield Condors and will finish the season in the AHL.
Holloway is coming back after suffering a thumb injury at the end of his college season and will be getting his first taste of professional hockey. Still just 19, he recorded 11 goals and 35 points at the University of Wisconsin, anchoring the second line behind the Cole Caufield-driven top unit.
- Frank Corrado won’t be returning to the NHL anytime soon, as the veteran defenseman signed a contract with Dinamo Riga in the KHL. He spent this season with MODO in the Swedish second league, recording 17 points in 34 games. The Vancouver Canucks draft pick played 76 games in the NHL and several seasons in the minor leagues before taking his game overseas.
- The Stanley Cup Playoffs could start as soon as Saturday, according to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. Daly spoke with Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com, explaining that though the North Division doesn’t actually finish their regular season schedule until May 19, the other three divisions could start as early as May 15. In fact, the North could actually start their playoff schedule just hours after the regular season concludes, since the last few games are likely between two non-playoff teams in Calgary and Vancouver.
Edmonton Oilers Sign Dylan Holloway
6:50pm: NHL insider John Shannon reports that Holloway’s contract will begin in 2021-22, so even if his thumb does heal in time, he won’t be playing for the Oilers until next season.
4:05pm: One of the most impressive players in college hockey has decided that two years is enough. Dylan Holloway has turned pro and signed his entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. It is not immediately clear whether the contract is for this season or next. Since he turns 20 in late September, Holloway’s three-year deal will not be eligible to slide, meaning if it is for 2020-21, the first year will be burned no matter where or how many games he plays this spring. Alternatively, if it begins in 2021-22 he would not be eligible to play for the Oilers this season, though could still join the Bakersfield Condors on an amateur tryout. The young forward is currently dealing with a broken thumb suffered at the end of his college season, so he can’t play for either of them at the moment.
Holloway, 19, was the 14th overall pick in the 2020 draft and exploded at the University of Wisconsin, registering 11 goals and 35 points in 23 games. He was named a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for his performance, though teammate Cole Caufield would eventually take home the trophy. Caufield also got the better of Holloway at the World Junior tournament, where the latter’s Team Canada finished with a silver medal.
If you hadn’t already started to respect the AJHL as a breeding ground for top NHL prospects from Cale Makar‘s emergence, Holloway might be able to change your mind. The Alberta native decided not to play in the WHL to maintain his NCAA eligibility and scored 40 goals and 88 points for the Okotoks Oilers in 2018-19, earning AJHL MVP honors. He also was part of the Canadian contingent that won gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky in 2018, playing on a powerhouse squad with the likes of Alexis Lafreniere, Bowen Byram, and Dylan Cozens.
Because he turned 18 just a few days after the cutoff for the 2019 draft, Holloway is a more advanced player than some of his 2020 contemporaries. That is only magnified by the fact he has already played two years of NCAA hockey, developing from a talented but inconsistent freshman to a dominant sophomore. His puck protection skills have hit a new level and he was one of the most reliable two-way players on a strong Wisconsin roster.
There’s a real chance that Holloway could grab a spot on the Oilers roster right now if healthy, but at very worst he’ll be in the mix for a full-time spot in 2021-22.