We are just 9 games into the 2026-27 NHL season, but people are already beginning to draw some early conclusions on teams and players. For the Blues, the thing that stands out is a lack of consistency in their level of play. Much of this can be blamed on the slow and inconsistent start from the top line of Snuggerud-Thomas-Holloway. Expectations were high for these three after being one of the best lines in all of hockey last season. So far, they haven't lived up to this, and the team's record has suffered as a result.
Dylan Holloway's continued struggles in goal-scoring
After 4 games this year, the Blues' first line had somehow failed to produce a single point on the stat sheet. Following some panic and criticism from fans in St. Louis, the line has seen improvement as offensive production increases from them. One glaring hole that has remained, however, is the lack of goal scoring from developing star Dylan Holloway.
Holloway was acquired via offer sheet from the Edmonton Oilers in the offseason just prior to the 2024-25 season. Almost immediately, he became a star for the Blues at a time when dynamic goal scorers were hard to come by in St. Louis. In his first season, Holloway put up 26 goals and 37 assists for 63 points in 77 games in the Note. The young forward followed that up with an even more impressive second season as a Blue with 22 goals and 29 assists for 51 points in just 59 games.
Holloway's start by the numbers
Coming into this year, the only concern regarding Holloway was his ability to stay healthy and be on the ice, not his contribution to the team when he's there. Unfortunately, Holloway has scored just 1 goal in 9 games so far - a number well below his ability.
It would be easy to say that Holloway's team leading 6 assists makes up for this, but in this case, the numbers are a bit misleading. Holloway hasn't been the one directly creating these goals for teammates, as 5 of his 6 assists are secondary, and the one primary assist was a deflection off the skate of Snuggerud in front of the net. This is concerning, considering how much the Blues have depended on 81 to drive their offense in recent years.
Moving forward
The biggest question around this topic is what Dylan Holloway can do to turn his play around and how quickly he can return to his typical form. On his end, Holloway has recognized that the team and organization expect from him, and he expects more from himself. When speaking to the media earlier this season following the loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, Holloway said, "I thought some guys tonight had great games, and myself, I don't think I played very well at all, so definitely need to grow."
During his slow start, Holloway has seen his spot on the top line be periodically filled by a few other players like Pavel Buchnevich (a combination that actually produced one of the best xGoals % in the league). Of course, there is almost certainly no chance Montgomery breaks up the Blues' original first line long term, but it's clear the team is doing everything it can to prompt Holloway's offensive production.
As we look forward to the incredibly consequential matchups over the next couple of months, it's clear to everyone that Dylan Holloway is a huge X-factor for the Blues' hopes to stay relevant in the division and playoff hunt. At the end of the season, it's very likely we look back on these weeks as hugely significant in setting the tone for the year's campaign as a whole. Whether it's viewed positively or negatively is the only thing that remains to be seen.
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