The St. Louis Blues got a major piece of business done by inking forward Dylan Holloway to a contract extension.
The five-year, $38.75 million pact was a necessary move by the Blues to ensure they keep one of their most promising forwards in the fold.
Moreover, the club needed to make the deal in order to salvage the aggressive offer sheet move from a couple of offseasons ago.
But beyond that, the Blues got it right. Holloway had another great season, if injury-shortened. His 22 goals and 51 points in 59 games were a solid follow-up to his 26-goal and 63-point campaign last season.
All of that for a 24-year-old who will be making $7.75 million against the cap for the next five seasons. That’s fantastic, particularly assuming that the rising cap will make 20-goal scorers even more expensive. We’ve seen veterans like Kiefer Sherwood get over $5 million per season, even as fringe 20-goal guys.
As for Holloway, he’s got 30-goal potential. You would have to think that a fully healthy season would allow the former 14th-overall pick from the 2020 NHL Draft to find another level in his game. If he can hit the 30-goal mark, his cap hit will look pretty good.
It will look even better as the cap continues to rise in the coming seasons.
But there’s another powerful reason why the Blues made the right call in locking Holloway up when they did.
Blues committing to young core
The Blues will be looking to move on from several veteran players in the coming season or two. Players like Jordan Kyrou, Pavel Buchnevich, Colton Parayko, and even Jordan Binnington could all land in new locales in the not-too-distant future.
That’s why committing to Holloway is a sign the Blues have identified their young core. Holloway is just one piece of an emerging group that includes uber-talented players like Robert Thomas, Philip Broberg, Jimmy Snuggerud, Jake Neighbours, Dalibor Dvorsky, and prospects like Justin Carbonneau and Otto Stenberg.
The Blues have the makings of a fantastic young club, similar to what we’ve seen happening in Anaheim and Utah.
As empires inevitably rise and fall, there could be an opportunity for the Blues to rise from seeming oblivion. The club has the pieces to contend in the Western Conference, particularly as clubs like the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, and Vegas Golden Knights begin to age out.
Who knows, the Blues could very well be the next team to emerge from their retool. You would have to think that a “young” veteran or two could make a significant difference moving forward in St. Louis.
With three first-round picks and several potentially interesting pieces, the Blues could become major players this offseason.
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