Suggesting the Edmonton Oilers undervalued him and essentially pushed him out when he wanted to return, Dylan Holloway didn’t hold back in a recent interview.

The ex-Oiler, now turned St. Louis Blues' breakout forward, said on the Cam & Strick Podcast, “It rubbed me the wrong way how little Edmonton thought of me… I wanted to go back to a team we went so far with, but as soon as Edmonton didn’t reciprocate that feeling, I was all in on St. Louis,” Holloway said.

Holloway has since exploded in St. Louis, forming one of the NHL’s most electrifying lines with Jordan Kyrou and captain Brayden Schenn, tallying 66 points in 77 games before a season-ending injury.

He's healthy now and ready to return and make an impact again, hoping to prove that the Blues can feel confident giving him a big contract that demonstrates how much they value him. The Oilers didn't do that following a run in the Stanley Cup the season prior to his exit, leading him to feel confident that was no longer where he wanted to call home. 

The Oilers Are Still Feeling the Fallout... McDavid's Hesitation Is Proof Of That

For Edmonton, the fallout goes beyond losing a breakout forward. Holloway was close friends with Connor McDavid and could have been a key part of the Oilers’ core moving forward. The Oilers had shown patience in waiting for him to make the transition into the NHL, and when they waited for him to recover from numerous injuries. But, just as he was ready to make an impact consistently, they ignored him in favor of experienced guys like Viktor Ardvisson and Jeff Skinner.

Who Might the Oilers Trade From "Imperfect" Roster To Keep McDavid? When NHL insider Elliotte Friedman speculated “there’s something imperfect" in Connor McDavid's eyes, and that's why he hasn't signed an extension in Edmonton yet, fans started wondering what exactly that meant. 

His exit raises an intriguing question: how much did Holloway's leaving impact McDavid? Certainly, one player doesn't mean McDavid changes his perspective on the team. However, Holloway was a metaphor for how the Oilers were approaching their roster construction. They made a monumental mistake, potentially influencing the level of trust McDavid has in management to make the right future decisions in Edmonton.

One thing is clear—Holloway’s departure is a story of missed opportunity for the Oilers and a reminder that undervaluing young talent doesn't just mean missing out on the potential of a future top-six difference-maker. The best player in the world likely now has doubts that the Oilers have their focus on the right things. 

McDavid watched as a key part of the Oilers' future left and was pretty bitter on his way out. 

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