Blues' Dylan Holloway Speaks Out On RFA Status

Friday, May 01, 2026 ,
St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway celebrates goal during 2026 game.

Dylan Holloway made his position clear on the St. Louis Blues when he shared his thoughts on his upcoming free agency.

"It was kind of wild two years ago," Holloway said, referencing the offer sheet that brought him from Edmonton to St. Louis in the summer of 2024. "But obviously I'm very thankful to be a Blue and I want to be a Blue for a long time."

The 24-year-old forward becomes a restricted free agent on July 1 when his two-year, $4.58 million contract expires, and St. Louis is expected to tender a qualifying offer of $2.29 million to retain his rights.

The mutual desire to get a deal done is clear on both sides. What is less clear is how much term the Blues are willing to commit to right now.

What Holloway Has Done in St. Louis

The case for locking him up long-term starts with the production he has generated since arriving.

Holloway has posted 48 goals, 114 points, a very impressive +34 plus/minus rating, and 10 game-winning goals across 136 games in a Blues uniform, numbers that show legit top-six offensive impact on a team that has not always had enough of it.

His first season in St. Louis was exceptional, with 26 goals and 63 points in 77 games and a +21 plus/minus rating while finishing second behind only Jordan Kyrou in possession metrics among Blues forwards.

The second season was interrupted by a right ankle injury that surfaced in mid-December and limited him to 59 games.

Despite the missed time, his point-per-game production held strong, and he finished the year on an absolute tear alongside Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud, posting 34 points in his final 25 games, a rate that tied Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini for sixth in the NHL over that stretch.

The line those three formed was one of the better units in the league by expected goals metrics for the second half of the season.

Why the Blues Are Not Simply Writing a Long-Term Deal Tomorrow

Outgoing GM Doug Armstrong was candid about the organization's hesitation when asked about Holloway's contract situation.

"Dylan Holloway has to prove to himself and the league that he's an 82-game player to that level that he played at the end," Armstrong said. "I think he is, but what I think is really irrelevant. It's what he does. That's just an honest answer, that we need consistent, 82-game play."

It's fair, the injury concern is real.

Holloway tore his oblique and abductor muscle in April 2025 and then dealt with the ankle issue this season.

He plays a physical, assertive style that makes him effective but also exposes him to the kind of contact that has twice interrupted his seasons in two years.

Philip Broberg, his offer-sheet partner, received a six-year, $48 million extension in January after a consistent debut season.

Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, who accurately predicted Broberg's $8 million AAV, projected Holloway's next deal in the same $7 to $9 million per year range on a long-term commitment.

Whether the Blues under incoming GM Alex Steen, who takes over July 1, view Holloway through that lens or prefer a shorter bridge deal that buys another year of data before committing fully is another question.

Photo Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

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