It seems like an eternity ago but, two years ago, the St. Louis Blues turned the hockey world on its head. Then-general manager Doug Armstrong tendered not one, but two offer sheets to players on the same team. That was unheard of in the modern NHL.
The Edmonton Oilers had mucked up their cap situation and taken for granted that their pending Restricted Free Agents (RFAs)--Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway--would sign cheap, team-friendly bridge deals to remain in Edmonton. GM Stan Bowman was wrong. The Oilers didn't match the offer sheets, and the rest is history: the Blues gained a top-pair defenseman and a very good top-six forward. Maybe the rest of the league decided they should try the same thing.
It was a home run for the Blues, and both players still have room to grow; now, though, we're going to focus on Holloway.
Impact in 2025-26
Holloway finished the season with a respectable 22 goals, 29 assists, and 51 points; the downside is he only played 59 games. This was disappointing because the Blues were without Holloway at the tail end of the 2024-25 season and in their first-round playoff loss to the Winnipeg Jets. There's now the ominous shadow of "injury history" hanging around Holloway as he starts the first year of his five-year, $7.75-million AAV contract.
The good news, though, is that Holloway is outstanding when he plays. He's an efficient goal scorer, shooting 13 percent over the course of his career, makes plays to set up his teammates, and drives play--he's had a positive expected Goals For percentage in all of his NHL seasons, and was third among regular Blues forwards last season with 52.86 xGF%. Despite the injury troubles, the 24-year-old still did well.
Expectations for 2026-27
Health will be the main storyline surrounding Holloway, at least until he proves everyone otherwise. If the Blues want to avoid mediocrity and stand a chance against the powerhouses of the Central Division, they'll need Holloway to stay in the lineup and maintain the impact he's shown he can provide.
If Holloway remains healthy next season, there's no reason he shouldn't be flirting with 30 goals and surpassing his career-high 63 points from his first year with the Blues. He'll get prime minutes in the Blues' top six, most likely alongside Robert Thomas (though he could get some time with newcomer Mason McTavish), as well as plenty of opportunity on the power play. He must remain healthy, but a career year across the board is in play for Holloway.
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