Edmonton Oilers prospect Dylan Holloway scores first pro goal

Dylan Holloway has found the back of the net for his first ever professional hockey goal.

The goal came Friday night when the Bakersfield Condos took on the Tucson Roadrunners.

Tied up at one late with just under three minutes to go, a shot from the halfway found it’s way to the net, deflecting towards a driving Holloway. He picked up the loose puck putting it on his backhand before roofing it over top of Roadrunners goaltender Josef Korenar.

That goal was the lone point of the night for the rookie, but he’s had quite the start with the Condors. In four games, he’s got one goal and four points while firing seven shots on net.

As I wrote about after his pro debut last weekend, the 2020 14th overall draft pick has looked sharp. He’s a smooth skater with the burst to pull away from defenders and as we see from his goal last night, some soft hands around the net.

There is lots to be optimistic about when it comes to the way he’s developed since being drafted. In his final year of NCAA action, he appeared in 23 games scoring 11 goals and 35 points. His NHL equivalency based off that production translates to roughly 55 points over an 82 game NHL season.

The truth of the matter is that he shouldn’t be rushed into any action with the Oilers. While he’s showing promise, the best thing for him right now would be to continue to play at a high level.

Look, he’s played all of four pro games. The addition of Evander Kane up front for the big clubs adds some much-needed depth throughout the lineup by pushing some talents down line.

Edmonton needs Holloway in the long run, and I would be all for all for him learning down in the AHL the rest of the year.