BLOG: Holloway inching closer to game action

EDMONTON, AB - Hello, Holloway.
Forward Dylan Holloway, the Oilers 14th overall selection from the 2020 NHL Draft, looks to be well on his way towards returning to game action from September wrist surgery in the coming weeks after joining his teammates for practice Friday morning at Rogers Place.
With Kailer Yamamoto's withdrawal early in practice for COVID-related reasons, it was the 20-year-old winger who stepped in on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele.
"He was an excited kid out there today," Head Coach Dave Tippett said.
"Today, it was supposed to be non-contact for him, so he's getting close. Hopefully, he gets up and going and gets an opportunity, whether it's in Bakersfield or here."

It was a blow to the former University of Wisconsin Badger and the Oilers organization when it was announced during Rookie Camp that the forward would need to undergo a second wrist surgery to repair a scaphoid fracture he sustained late in his sophomore NCAA season -- one he'd finish with 11 goals and 35 points in 23 games.
Holloway ramped up his rehabilitation in late November when he was cleared by team doctors to push further in his recovery, taking to the ice regularly with Oilers Skating Coach David Pelletier and receiving rave reviews from the former Olympic gold medalist for his edge work and speed.
"He's been working hard. I give him credit," Tippett said. "He skates every day here with David Pelletier, and he's finally getting to the point where he's close to (getting back to action).
"His skating is elite. Pelletier was treating him like his son there for a while because he loves him so much."
As is the nature of wrist injuries like Holloway's, finding a feel for the puck again was more difficult. But the Calgary, AB product was back on Friday looking confident in his ability to stickhandle and shoot in his first full practice with the Oilers.

"That wrist has bothered him for a long time, so it'll take him a while to get his puck stuff up, but he looks good out there," Tippett said. "If you didn't know he had an injury when you're watching him out there, you'd say: 'Hey, this is a pretty good player out here.'
"We'll see. He's got to get up and going, he hasn't played in a long time, but he's a really good prospect; fitness-wise and attitude-wise, he's excellent."
Seeing Holloway take to the ice breathed some encouragement into an Oilers dressing room that's watched him work hard over previous months to be on the verge of making his first foray into professional hockey.
"It was great to have him. He worked extremely hard to get to where he's at," forward Zack Kassian said. "He's always in the gym, he's working extremely hard with our skating coach David Pelletier, so it's nice to see him finally be able to take in a practice. Obviously, he's put in a lot of hard work. He's a big, strong kid and the future is definitely bright for him.

Holloway is expected to re-evaluate his wrist on Monday with team doctors. He could receive full clearance if everything goes to plan, thus paving the way for him to make his long-awaited professional debut in either Edmonton or Bakersfield in the coming weeks.
Considering all factors, including injury length and the Oilers upcoming schedule, Tippett believes the latter option is the most likely.
"He hasn't played in a long time," he said. "I think it's more leaning towards him going down and getting some games in Bakersfield, especially with us having very limited games here in the next little while. So him getting up and going down there would be my guess on it, but I don't know that for sure yet."
What Tippett does know, however, is that the talent and drive in Holloway to be an NHL player has the potential to push the prospect into a role with the Oilers this season.
"That'll all depend on if he goes down to Bakersfield and gets eight or 10 games in. You'll probably get a good gauge on where he's at, so that'll depend on how things go for him," he said.
"You can tell he's got talent. He's got size and talent that look like they're going to be in the NHL at some point, and it's just a matter of when."