Edmonton Oilers forward Dylan Holloway will be out until after Christmas

It doesn’t look like Dylan Holloway will be back with the Edmonton Oilers any time soon.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch gave an update on Holloway’s status for the first time since the young winger suffered a knee injury back in mid-November. Per Ryan Rishaug, Knoblauch said that Holloway will be out until after the Christmas break.

The Oilers placed Holloway on the Long-Term Injured Reserve on November 14 with an injury that was considered month-to-month, so this comes as no surprise. It ultimately means that Holloway won’t be playing with the team as the Oilers go on a three-game road trip next week, which will be their final set of games ahead of the break.

The timing of Holloway’s injury this season was especially unfortunate because it came after he had scored his first goal of the year in the previous game. Holloway fell awkwardly into the boards while reaching to try to intercept a pass in the offensive zone and left the game and didn’t return.

Injuries have unfortunately been a theme for Holloway throughout his young career. The Oilers selected Holloway with the 14th overall pick in the 2020 draft and he broke through with a big season for the Wisconsin Badgers in 2020-21. At the end of his Sophomore NCAA season, Holloway suffered a wrist injury that resulted in his debut at the professional level being pushed back to January of 2021-22.

Holloway started the 2022-23 season with the Oilers and scored three goals and nine points over 51 games before being sent to the American Hockey League. He suffered a shoulder injury in his first game playing with the Bakersfield Condors and missed over a month of play. Holloway wasn’t recalled by the Oilers again that season and scored 10 points in 12 games with Bakersfield.

This season is the third and final year of Holloway’s standard entry-level contract. He’ll be a restricted free agent for the first time in his career in the summer.