Edmonton Oilers select Dylan Holloway with the 14th overall pick

“Holloway consistently applies pressure on the backcheck, pickpockets puck-carriers, makes timely hits, wields a disruptive stick — you name it. He never flees the zone early and is a capable east-west attacker who shields the puck from opposing defenders really well.”

“After winning the AJHL’s most valuable player award a full year before his NHL draft year, Holloway was allowed to play college hockey as an 18-year-old. In fact, he was one of just two first-year draft eligibles to play Division I NCAA hockey in 2019-20.

Holloway said the decision to leave junior a year earlier was made on the basis of his physical maturity.

‘Playing at a higher level gets you better as a player. I was ready to make the jump and I’m happy that I did because this year has taught me a lot and I feel like I’m better off for it,’ Holloway said. ‘Coming from the AJHL to here, making decisions at a quicker pace is a lot different. I like to think of myself as a fast player but there’s a lot of them in this league.’”

“The top NCAA draft-eligible is a complete forward with excellent hands, vision, and effective skating abilities. From his powerful stride and edgework and agility, once he has the puck on his stick, he has the ability to make flashy plays offensively.”

“The left-shot forward has good hands, high compete and a drive to create offence. He should be the first college player selected after he had 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 35 games as a college freshman.”