The Oilers will be without forward Evander Kane for 3-to-4 months after he had his wrist cut by Lightning forward Patrick Maroon’s skate blade Tuesday night in Tampa.
That is no small thing. Since joining the Oilers in January, Kane has been excellent, scoring 40 goals and putting up 69 points in 72 regular-season and playoff games.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are elite, but they can only do so much. Someone will have to step up in Kane’s absence, even if no one is expecting Kane’s replacement to match his production.
“He’s a top player in our league,” Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft told reporters Thursday morning. “He’s a well-respected teammate. He brings a lot to our team night in (and) night out. But the way I look at it is it’s a great opportunity. All hockey players crave for a little bit more — (a) little bit more ice time, a little bit more responsibility. They want to be elevated in the lineup. Well, now’s the time.”
Oilers fans have been clamoring for Dylan Holloway to get a chance to prove himself in a top-six role, and it appears he will get that chance Thursday against the Hurricanes. Holloway is expected to play with Draisaitl and Zach Hyman.
Holloway has averaged 7:17 of ice time over 10 games this season, so his impact has been limited. But the No. 14 pick in the 2020 draft showed promise during the preseason, scoring four goals in six games alongside Draisaitl and Hyman. Holloway had a hat trick Oct. 3 against the Canucks, showing off his diverse offensive skill set.
Like Kane, who is averaging 0.79 rush chances per game this season, Holloway is a power forward who is capable of pushing the pace offensively. Last season in the AHL, he led the Bakersfield Condors with 0.82 rush chances per game, so keeping up with his quick-footed linemates will not be a problem.
Holloway can also help Draisaitl and Hyman by keeping possession alive in the offensive zone. His 1.93 loose puck recoveries off OZ rebounds per 20 minutes rank third among 410 forwards who have played a minimum of 50 minutes.
“I think for Dylan, what’s great about him is he’s had the opportunity to play the first 10 games of his career and learn some lessons along the way, learn how good this league is night in (and) night out,” Woodcroft said. “We’ve kind of moved him around the lineup. There’s nights where he’s played a lot and nights where he didn’t play a lot, but for me, I think he’ll be excited. He has some chemistry with Hyman and Draisaitl going back to their training camp. I think he’s excited about the opportunity.”
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