Dylan Holloway has put the league on notice: he is back from injury, and ready to not just pick up where he left off last season, but elevate his game once more and become the top-six scoring forward the Blues have so desperately craved. The 24-year-old winger has been dominant since returning to the lineup this preseason, and was rewarded with a goal in last night's trouncing of the Ottawa Senators.
When GM Doug Armstrong sent that dual offer sheet to Holloway and Philip Broberg last summer, it was a move that stunned the league. Offer sheets themselves are infrequently used, but tendering two at once to two players on the same team was unheard of. That bold move--and the risk of ostracizing other general managers in the league--has paid dividends for the St. Louis Blues. The only drawback, of course, is that this is the last year of the contract Holloway signed--and he'll be due quite a raise on his next one.
Holloway's contract shouldn't be an issue for the Blues: some money comes off the books next year, and there's always the option to move Torey Krug to Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) to create even more space. With the way the cap is skyrocketing the next few years, it's even possible Holloway prefers a shorter-term deal to take advantage of a higher cap down the line and cash in then--though a long-term deal would certainly benefit the Blues' bottom line.
Regardless of what Holloway's looking for in a contract, he has so far proven he deserves a payday: a repeat of last season's success is one thing, but an improvement raises the bar even higher. The Blues would be wise to indulge Holloway, as he's demonstrated he can be a core part of a contending Blues roster.