Oilers' bottom six could look a lot different when Dylan Holloway returns
The Edmonton Oilers are well on their way to getting into a playoff spot for the first time all season, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t tweaks that need to be made to the lineup.
On Wednesday, the team announced that they had activated forward Dylan Holloway off the LTIR and have loaned him to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The 22-year-old has been out of the lineup since mid-November after falling awkwardly into the boards in a game against the New York Islanders.
Getting sent to the Condors appears to be a conditioning stint for Holloway but it also looks like the Oilers are going to use his time in the AHL to try something new.
According to the Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman, the Oilers plan on having Holloway play centre for the Condors instead of his usual spot on the wing.
Dylan Holloway, sent to AHL Bakersfield today, will be shifted to centre there.
Holloway played centre his last season w/ NCAA Wisconsin before turning pro.
The Oilers have several C/W players. Holloway could provide more versatility & roster flexibility if he’s a centre option
— Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) January 4, 2024
The Oilers’ bottom-six forward group has been a bit fluid of late. Ryan McLeod had been serving as the team’s third-line centre for most of the season but has now found success playing left wing on the second line. This has caused Derek Ryan to be promoted up to the third line to fill McLeod’s old spot, which hasn’t been awful but an ideal placing for Ryan would be on the fourth line.
This could mean that the team intends to see how well Holloway can act as the anchor of the third line. As DNB notes, this wouldn’t be the first time the 2020 first-rounder has played the position. His most productive season in the NCAA came when he was moved to centre in 2020-21, scoring 35 points in just 23 games.
It is an interesting decision, but one that could work out. When the veteran gets healthy, his most likely linemates would be Evander Kane and Sam Gagner. This would provide a unique blend of skill and scoring ability for a third line that has the potential to jumpstart Holloway, who has just one goal this season.
The change would also allow Ryan to move back down to the fourth line with James Hamblin and Mattias Janmark, bumping veteran Adam Erne back into the press box.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch has not been shy about making sweeping changes to the roster in an attempt to get more out of his players. He has already constructed two top lines that are firing on all cylinders, and now it appears he’s going to work to do the same for the bottom two lines.
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