Blues lock up Dylan Holloway with five-year, $38.75 million extension

Key facts

• Dylan Holloway signed a five-year, $38.75 million extension with the St. Louis Blues, starting in 2026-27.
• The contract carries an average annual value of $7.75 million.
• Holloway recorded 22 goals and 51 points in 59 games last season.
• He had 14 goals and 34 points in the final 25 games after the Olympics, playing with Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud.
• Holloway was originally drafted 14th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2020.
• He joined the Blues via an offer sheet in 2024, along with Philip Broberg.
• Holloway suffered a high-ankle sprain this season, missing 15 straight games and later eight more.

A restricted free agent no more

The St. Louis Blues have secured one of their emerging core players, signing forward Dylan Holloway to a five-year contract extension worth $38.75 million. The deal, announced Friday, begins with the 2026-27 season and carries an average annual value of $7.75 million. Holloway, 24, was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1 and had arbitration rights.

From offer sheet to cornerstone

Holloway arrived in St. Louis two years ago as the target of a double offer sheet — along with defenseman Philip Broberg — that stunned the hockey world. At the time, he was a player with third-line potential. Now he has blossomed into a legitimate top-line star, a transformation that even Blues general manager Doug Armstrong could not have fully anticipated. Holloway has registered 48 goals and 114 points in 136 games with the Blues, along with a plus-34 rating and 10 game-winning goals.

A late-season explosion

Holloway’s 2024-25 season was a tale of two halves. Through his first 34 games, he managed 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists). Then, after returning from a high-ankle sprain sustained after the Olympics, he teamed up with Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud to form one of the NHL’s most productive lines. In the final 25 games, Holloway racked up 14 goals and 34 points, ranking 12th in goals and seventh in points league-wide during that stretch. He also led the NHL with a plus-26 rating and tied for 12th with 83 shots.

Injury concerns linger

Despite his breakout, Holloway’s durability remains a question. In 2024-25, he suffered a torn oblique that sidelined him for the end of the regular season and the Blues’ first-round playoff loss to the Winnipeg Jets. This season, a high-ankle sprain in practice forced him to miss 15 consecutive games; he returned for one game, then missed the next eight. Armstrong acknowledged the inconsistency, saying, “Dylan Holloway did not start the year where he ended it. He has to prove to himself and the League that he’s an 82-game player to that level he played at the end. I think he is. But what I think is really irrelevant; it’s what he does.”

A reasonable price for a rising star

The $7.75 million annual value is seen as a bargain given Holloway’s trajectory. During his hot streaks over the past two seasons, an AAV of $9 million or $10 million did not seem out of reach. The Blues, who are in the midst of a retool, view Holloway as a player they can build around. “It’s exciting, but it’s kind of out of my hands now — it’s up to my agent, Army and [Alexander Steen],” Holloway said before the deal. “But I want to be a Blue for a long time and I’m confident that we can get something done.”

What comes next

With Holloway locked up, the Blues have secured a key piece of their forward core. The extension begins in 2026-27, meaning Holloway will play next season on his current contract, which runs through 2025-26. The team will hope that his late-season form becomes the norm and that he can stay healthy for a full 82-game campaign. For Holloway, the deal marks a long-term commitment to the organization that took a chance on him two summers ago. “I want to be a Blue for a long time,” he said.

The bottom line

• Dylan Holloway signed a five-year, $38.75 million extension with the St. Louis Blues, starting in 2026-27.
• He emerged as a top-line star after a late-season surge of 14 goals and 34 points in 25 games.
• Injury history includes a torn oblique and a high-ankle sprain that cost him significant time.
• The $7.75 million AAV is considered reasonable given his production and potential.
• Holloway originally joined the Blues via an offer sheet in 2024, along with Philip Broberg.