The holiday season is upon us. With that also comes the IIHF World Junior Championships, which are being held in the Czech Republic. Everyone is sure to have their eyes on this year’s draft lock for the 2020 first overall selection (which is taking place at Montreal’s Bell Centre this year), Canada’s own Alexis Lafreniere, who looks like a man playing amongst boys for the Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL. He has totaled 70 points in just 32 games played so far, but seeing that the Flyers will be drafting 31st overall this year (wishful thinking), I will take a look at a more rational draft pick in this article. This pick is Bragg Creek, Alberta native Dylan Holloway, a 6’0″ 192 pound center, who will also represent Team Canada in the World Juniors this week at just 18-years of age.
Now it’s very early to guess where Holloway might land in the draft rankings, and what position the Flyers might be drafting from come Friday June 26th. However, the hope is that whatever spot the Flyers are drafting from, Holloway will still be on the board.
Holloway currently is a freshman playing for the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA. So far this season Holloway has amassed 3 goals, 4 assists, for 7 points (in 17 games played). These stats may not seem like a lot compared to his Team Canada teammate Lafreniere, but you ought to take into consideration that Holloway is an 18-year-old playing against 21-year-olds on a collegiate level, which may play only 37 games in a season. Lafreniere is an 18-year-old, playing sixty some games a year against kids as young as 15-years-old in Juniors.
So, what type of player is Holloway you may be asking? Holloway is a 200 ft player, who is one of the most physical offensive players in this year’s draft, that also uses his NHL size to lay punishing hits on opposing players. He makes them think twice before wanting to go retrieve the puck in the boards; a place where Holloway size helps him to excel. Although, Holloway is large, this doesn’t stop him from being quick on his skates. He plays the game with a great drive to win and displays an immense amount of pure hustle on every shift. To go along with those talents Holloway is very strong on the puck, protecting it from poke checks and negating turnovers with his tremendous stick handling ability. If you watch the upcoming World Junior tournament you may be able to witness what one can only verbalize as his wrist/one-timer hybrid shot, which he uses frequently to camouflage an amazingly quick release, while seemingly never stopping the puck. This move leaves goalies dumbfounded, wondering just when Holloway netted the puck. This deviates from the usual huge wind ups that are very powerful, but allows the goalie to see it coming from a mile away.
On the defensive side, Holloway excels as well. Hustling to get back and assist the defense, Holloway can be routinely seen catching up to and skating side by side with the opposing teams wingers, who are in the process of a fast break. He pesters them the whole time fighting to get that puck back for his team. With that, Holloway frequently finds himself on the Penalty Killing unit for the Wisconsin Badgers, where he is profoundly aggressive challenging the wingers and defenseman, while they are trying to cycle the puck. Often times, this causes them to turnover the puck breaking up their chance at scoring on their powerplay and thus creating a shorthanded break.
A good pro comparison in my mind would be the Flyers own Kevin Hayes. Although, not as tall as Hayes, Holloway makes up for it with his heart. His play may not be the fanciest at times, but he demonstrates time and time again that he wants it more than the next guy. With extreme hustle, physical play, and hard work, it’s easy to see why Flyers General Manger Chuck Fletcher may have his eye on this young prospect. Currently most 2020 NHL Mock Drafts have Holloway projected to go anywhere from 10th to 20th overall.
Being that Holloway’s Badgers are filled with other star prospects like sniper Cole Caufield (who was drafted 15th overall last year by the Montreal Canadiens), Alex Turcotte (who was selected 5th overall last year by the LA Kings), and the Flyers’ own defensive prospect and Badgers Captain Wyatt Kalynuk (among others), the Badgers offense doesn’t often go through Holloway. Holloway is unable to be showcased like other players, and has disproportionate numbers for his efforts when compared to other prospects. These are some reasons that may help Holloway fall in the draft, allowing the Flyers and Chuck Fletcher to seize the opportunity and call him to the stage come June 26th to don that world-renowned Orange and Black team sweater.
Photo Credit: Uwbadgers
Dylan Holloway will be gone by pick 15. It’s still way too early to figure out the draft’s order yet, but I liked reading your thoughts on this kid. What does worry me is Chuck Fletcher’s inability to evaluate young players who wind up playing in the NHL. For that reason, Fletcher trades away high draft picks because he is so bad at judging talent. Ron Hextall did an amazing job of building the Flyers through the draft, but Fletcher will unbuild the Flyers by trading youth and draft picks away for older veterans. We saw Fletcher go that route last summer and you can bet Fletcher will continue turning the Flyers into an older team by abandoning the draft. Hextall’s rebuild is over and at least a lot of the great young players he signed and drafted have become very good NHL players. I wonder how many more great kids Hextall would have found had he stayed on as GM.
So, I posted a comment earlier on Holloway and the draft, but it isn’t here. I don’t believe I said anything that was questionable. Do our comments get posted? Gregg Lorenz
Gregg,
Sorry I just posted it. Got behind with the holiday. I’m really sorry
Thanks for the read Greg. I loved Hextall and his eye for talent. Hexy made the draft really exciting, and I believe multiple other prospects are still on their way to the NHL from Hexy’s reign. For the 1st time in a long time we have depth in the system. Before Hexy we had Cal Heeter as our best goaltender prospect. For example Hexy drafted Carter Hart, 2 Sweds, & 2 Russian goalies AHL of which may have a eventual shot at dressing during a NHL game someday. I think Chuck has drafted some descent draft picks in the past. But, they are few in far between compared to Hextall finding gems in the 5th, 6th, and 7th rounds. Like it or not though we are stuck with Chuck. Although he may not be as good on draft day as Hextall, he is better at building a NHL level team that can win now.; while waiting for other prospects to develop. Flecther I think had his marching orders clearly defined to him prior to him signing. Those orders were to put together a team that can win NOW, but allow young talent to join the NHL when ready. A feat that Hextall refused to do. Holding on to prospects to long and not allowing them to grow. Instead he sent them back to Jr’s and hid them in the AHL. While he had career 4th line players filling roster spots. Time will only tell what Chuck decides to do with the draft and this team moving forward though.