With the 14th-overall pick, the Edmonton Oilers have selected forward Dylan Holloway of the University of Wisconsin. A player with excellent baseline habits on both sides of the puck he’s a player with an edge and is a big body that should be a force up front for Edmonton for years.
This is a player who isn’t afraid to get nasty. During an NHL interview in June, he gave one of the best answers to an incredibly odd question. When asked, “Would I rather have $20 in my pocket right now or have to fish out $100 from a toilet?” What did he say? “I said, ‘The $100, because I’m not afraid to go to the dirty areas'”
This is the highest that Edmonton has ever picked a player out of the NCAA but the consensus is that this is player that will play. Brian Burke suggested this could be a player that jumps up the draft and outperforms some of the picks that came before him. He’s considered a well-rounded forward who will help his team in all situations. He’s big, fast, and a better carrier of the puck than he’s given credit for.
Holloway is 6-1, 203, and was the AJHL Player of the Year two seasons ago before being the 2nd-youngest player in the NCAA at Wisconsin last year, scoring 8-9-17 in 35 games for the Badgers (who had Turcotte & Caufield) last year.
According to Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal, “Holloway projects as a strong 2-way NHL Center. Has good wheels, size. I had a player or 2 still in front of him, but margins are narrow thru this part of the draft. Solid 1st Rounder.”
A safe third-line player, if Holloway hits, he could be a good top-six player for Edmonton as time goes by.
Next: Rounding Out the Top-10 Overall Selections of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft
