The St. Louis Blues found their perfect trio last season, but it was done at the last possible second. Dylan Holloway, Robert Thomas, and Jimmy Snuggerud were incredible together as the first line, and the hope is that it continues next season.
Speaking of Holloway, he was rewarded for his excellent efforts last season with a brand new contract. This keeps two-thirds of this top line together and ensures a little bit of motivation for No. 81 to keep being a star player.
This new deal will kick in when the puck drops on October 2 against Dallas, and is worth an AAV of $7.75 million over the next five years. Last season, Holloway was well worth the bang for his buck, as his previous deal worth $2.29 million expired. Looking at it by point per $1 million, "Hollywood" was definately effecient.
Who gave their team the most bang for their buck? 👀
— BarDown (@BarDown) September 2, 2026
Among NHLers with at least 50 points, Darren Raddysh provided the best contract value, producing 71.8 points per $1 million of cap hit. 💰 pic.twitter.com/sfPSUTPubk
What does that look like with the new deal?
Obviously, looking at his $7.75 million deal for next season and keeping at that pace above from last season at 22.3 points per $1 million , that would be an astounding 173 points next season. It is not going to happen.
Holloway appeared in 59 games last season, scoring 22 goals and adding 29 assists for 51 points. Realistically, with his new tax bracket achieved, he should be able to get himself and get over the 30-goal mark, and also approach the high 30s in assists for a near 70-point season.
There are two important factors to remember here. Holloway is going to be on the first line with Thomas and Snuggerud, and both of those linemates are poised to have career years. No. 81 is going to have plenty of opportunities with time on the ice and skill around him to really establish himself.
Second, Holloway has yet to really play a full season due to a couple of injuries in his short tenure with the Blues. If he had stayed healthy last season, he would have been a 70-point player, undoubtedly.
The Blues are relying on Holloway, who is going to be a part of the new look leadership group under their new captain, Thomas. He has a serious stake in this team's present and future, and General Manager Alexander Steen is pushing his chips all-in on him to bring this team back into the competitive fold.
Holloway is not going to score 173 points next season, that is blantantly obvious. Would make for a crazy story, but not going to happen at the same pace as last season. But, remaining helathy and playing well enough to keep that solid first line intact will benefit him and the Blues greatly. Let's call the goal at 70+ points, and hope that there is even more to come.
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