Ex-Edmonton Oilers forward Holloway clears air on "pouty" headshot
When the Edmonton Oilers decided not to match Dylan Holloway’s offer sheet last summer, many fans thought the Alberta native was upset about it.
The rationale for this thinking was that Holloway expected the Oilers to match and now he was forced to leave a cup contender and his hometown team to join a middling St. Louis Blues squad. It didn’t help that Holloway looked absolutely miserable in his first official headshot for the team.
Yet, according to Holloway, those people have it all wrong. The ex-Oilers first-rounder appeared on the What Chaos podcast this week to clear the air on his “pouty” headshot.
“I gotta clear the air,” Holloway laughed. “It’s gonna sound dumb. I love the UFC… They always do the UFC media and guys are looking pretty nails in their headshots.
“So I was like, ‘I’m gonna try to go serious this year,’ and it turned out not great. Everybody thinks I was pouty and mad or whatever. It didn’t work out the way I thought it would.”
"I'm not mad at all. I'm actually really happy."
Dylan Holloway explains why he looks so miserable in his Blues headshot 😂 pic.twitter.com/tP6XSw0yKi
— What Chaos! (@WhatChaosShow) January 14, 2025
There is no reason for Holloway to be sad about how his brief time in St. Louis has gone so far. The 23-year-old is having the best season of his young NHL career, obliterating previous career-highs with 15 goals and 32 points through 45 games this season.
He confirmed as much on the podcast.
“I want people to know I’m not mad at all, I’m actually really happy,” Holloway said with a laugh.
It seems like a win-win for both Holloway and the Oilers as the youngster is lighting it up in his new home while Edmonton is on their way to potentially their best season since the 1980s. Vasily Podkolzin, who was acquired to essentially replace Holloway, hasn’t scored at the same rate but he has quickly become a fan favourite in the Alberta capital.
It might be hard for Oilers fans to see Holloway excel elsewhere, but it’s also kind of nice to see a young player realize his potential — even if it wasn’t with Edmonton.