It might be time for Dylan Holloway to give up his title as a prospect or part-time player and play full-time for the big club St. Louis Blues. Last night, goaltender Jordan Binnington’s woes put the Blues in a bad position heading into the third period, but Holloway came to the rescue, scoring two goals to help St. Louis to a preseason victory over their division rivals.

But Holloway didn’t just contribute to the scoring, as he finished his ice time of 16:14 with a plus-1 rating, blocked three shots, landed two body checks and stole the puck once.

All in all, it’s been a game-changing preseason of sorts for the rookie that could end with him finding a spot on a Blues team that needs as much NHL-ready young talent as possible for general manager Doug Armstrong to continue reshaping the roster can.

But it was even more amazing to see Holloway leading a comeback, meaning he can handle difficult situations well. Sure, argue all you want that the preseason is a small sample size and teams are trying out and experimenting with new lineups and pairings, and you’ll be right. However, that doesn’t mean it takes away from Holloway’s excellent performance.

Edmonton’s loss could be a huge win for the St. Louis Blues

It’s probably no surprise that Dylan Holloway hasn’t been one of the roster cuts sent down to the AHL or the junior ranks so far, and if he plays another outstanding game or two when he’s called up, he should be key to starting the season the Blues his club.

But it’s not like Holloway doesn’t have NHL experience, as he saw plenty of it with an Edmonton Oilers team that earned a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. In the 2022-23 season, Holloway played 51 games, scoring three goals and nine points, but he did much better last season with another nine points and six goals in 38 games.

He’s primarily played fourth-line minutes, and while we don’t yet know if he’s ready for a top-six role, Holloway could develop into a player this season who should be a respectable depth scorer. Give him a full year in the NHL and I can see him turning into a surefire top-six forward in 2025-26 and beyond, and we can thank Doug Armstrong for getting him to the Lou .