Holden proved to be a late bloomer. The native of St. Albert, Alberta, went undrafted while playing in the Alberta Junior Hockey League through the age of 18 before he joined Chilliwack of the Western Hockey League for the 2006-07 season, where he finished with eight goals and 31 points.

In 2007-08, Holden led WHL defensemen in goals with 22 and finished third with 60 points while serving as captain. With his skating ability, offensive skills and size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), Holden signed a free agent contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 28, 2008, and was assigned to Syracuse of the American Hockey League, where he scored a combined 10 goals and 45 points in 129 games in his first two full seasons.

He made his NHL debut with Columbus on Oct. 20, 2010, in a 3-1 victory against the Anaheim Ducks. He played five games with the Blue Jackets in 2010-11 and a combined seven in three seasons. During that time in the AHL, Holden scored 16 goals and 73 points in 165 games.

On July 5, 2013, Holden signed a two-year, free agent contract with the Colorado Avalanche and made the opening night roster, though he did not make his season debut until Nov. 1, 2013.

Holden became a regular with the Avalanche and scored his first NHL goal against the Washington Capitals, a game-winner on Nov. 10, 2013. He finished the season with 10 goals and 25 points in 54 games.

Against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 18, 2014, Holden set a franchise record for a defenseman with nine hits, and became the first NHL defenseman to record three points and nine hits in a game since Jiri Slegr of the Atlanta Thrashers on Feb. 13, 2001.

During the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Holden had three goals and four points, scoring goals in three consecutive games, during a seven-game series loss to the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference First Round.

On July 1, 2014, Colorado signed Holden to a three-year contract extension. In 2015-16 he finished seventh among NHL defenseman and 20th overall with 217 hits.

Holden was traded to the New York Rangers on June 25, 2016, and he finished with NHL career highs in goals (11) and points (34) in 2016-17. But he was on the move again late in the following season; the Rangers traded him to the Boston Bruins on Feb. 20, 2018.

The Vegas Golden Knights signed Holden as a free agent on July 1, 2018.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• Signed as a free agent by Columbus, March 28, 2008.
• Signed as a free agent by Colorado, July 6, 2013.
• Traded to NY Rangers by Colorado for NY Rangers' 4th round pick (Petr Kvaca) in 2017 NHL Draft, June 25, 2016.
• Traded to Boston by NY Rangers for Rob O'Gara and Boston's 3rd round pick in 2018 NHL Draft, February 20, 2018.
• Signed as a free agent by Vegas, July 1, 2018.
• Traded to Ottawa by Vegas with a 3rd-round pick in 2022 NHL Draft for Evgenii Dadonov, July 28, 2021.