Oilers recall former first-round pick

The Oilers have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game on Saturday against Calgary. The team announced that they’ve recalled forward Dylan Holloway from AHL Bakersfield; in a corresponding move, forward James Hamblin was assigned to the Condors.

Holloway got off to a slow start to his season with Edmonton, notching just one goal in his first 14 games of the campaign while logging only a little over 11 minutes a night.  He then suffered a lower-body injury in mid-November, one that caused him to miss nearly two months.  Upon being cleared to return, the 22-year-old was assigned to Bakersfield where the plan was to give him some reps at center.  It wound up being a short-lived stint with the Condors but a successful one as Holloway had two goals and two assists in just four games in the minors.  It will be interesting to see if he sees time down the middle and takes Hamblin’s spot directly or if they’ll shift him back to the wing.

As for Hamblin, the 24-year-old has spent the bulk of the season with Edmonton, suiting up in 31 games so far. However, Hamblin’s role has been quite limited as he is logging less than eight minutes a night and has been limited to just two goals and one assist offensively while winning just over half of his faceoffs.  Hamblin has been more productive with Bakersfield, picking up three goals and two helpers in six games with the Condors. He’ll get a chance to play much bigger minutes as a result of this swap.