Blues’ Dylan Holloway to return against Oilers

The St. Louis Blues are getting a bit healther in time for their three-game road trip.

Forward Dylan Holloway will return to St. Louis’ lineup for Sunday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.

Holloway, 24, has missed the Blues’ last 15 games with a right ankle injury. In 33 games played this season, the Calgary native has eight goals and nine assists for 17 points. He had his breakout campaign last season with St. Louis, when he had 26 goals and 37 assists for 63 points in 77 games.

Coincidentally, Holloway is returning to play against his former team. The Oilers selected him 14th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft out of the University of Wisconsin. After wrist surgery and a case of COVID-19 delayed his professional debut, he eventually played 33 games in the 2021-22 season for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, putting up eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points. Over the next two seasons, he played a total of 89 games in the NHL for Edmonton, registering just nine goals and nine assists for 18 points. He also played 30 more games for the Condors, putting up 17 goals and nine assists for 26 points.

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, the Blues tendered Holloway an offer sheet when he was a restricted free agent. Edmonton declined to match the offer of a two-year, $4.58 million deal, which allowed Holloway to sign with St. Louis and provided the Oilers a compensatory third-round pick.

Holloway is scheduled to become a restricted free agent again after this season.

The Blues are working through a trying season so far. Their 46 points through 48 games has them in sixth place in the Central Division and five points out of a playoff spot.

After Sunday’s game in Edmonton, they will visit the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.