Alexander Holtz is on a Mission To Make The Devils Main Roster

After getting a taste of what NHL life was like with the Devils last season, Alexander Holtz wants just more than a cup of coffee with the big club. Entering training camp this year, his goal is to make the Devils main roster.

Alexander Holtz Starts Goal Off On Right Foot

Though it was only a prospect tournament, Holtz got off to a good start. The Devils selected Holtz in the first round (seventh overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft. One-half of Sweden’s terror twins alongside Lucas Raymond, the Devils selected Holtz for his goal-scoring prowess. His shot was exactly what the Devils organization had been missing for quite some time. That shot was on display all last season in the AHL as he recorded 51 points including 26 goals in Utica. In the first game of the prospects tournament, he showed why his shot is elite.

Holtz was buzzing throughout the entire game. However, he did not give up or get frustrated. With 1:46 left in regulation, Holtz ripped a nasty shot into the top corner to tie the game at 3-3. As the game headed into overtime, Holtz was on a mission to win the game for the Devils against Montreal. He did exactly that by ripping a one-timer on the power play to give the Devils a 4-3 victory. It capped off an incredible game for Holtz.

“I wanted that overtime winner,” said Holtz to the attending media who was in Buffalo. His previous shot was initially stopped and Holtz came back looking for more. “It’s nice to get the puck in the net. The first one I didn’t get exactly what I wanted, but the second one went top corner. I felt good about that one.”

Holtz Is Motivated

Entering the season, Alexander Holtz is highly motivated. He wants the Devils to keep him on the main roster instead of going back to the AHL for more development. After recording zero goals during his time with the big club last year, Holtz wants to prove his shot can stick at the NHL level. With training camp approaching this week, Holtz is looking to carry that momentum over from the weekend.

“Everything starts with this tournament. This is my start for the season,” Holtz said. “It’s a big opportunity to get games, get touches in, get the timing going. It’s a huge opportunity to get some games here and being able to play some hockey.”

“I want to show that I’m stronger on the puck and can handle the puck by myself more by creating opportunities. My skating is better now. But I still want to play a complete game and show that I can play a 200-foot game, but of course, I want to score goals as well.”

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Development Key To Holtz Success

While Holtz’s biggest strength is shot and finish, having a year to develop in the AHL under Kevin Dineen did him wonders. With the Utica Comets, Holtz was able to develop a complete game. Not only was Dineen instrumental in his development but so was then assistant and current Devils assistant coach Sergei Brylin. That is where the biggest areas of improvement came from.

“Obviously, he’s playing better without the puck,” said Sergei Brylin, the former longtime center and current Comets assistant under head coach Kevin Dineen. “He’s managing the puck better and moving his feet. We all know he can score. He creates chances. He sees the ice well. He’s got a great shot. That’s part of his development. We’re working on the little things and details in his game that needs to be better to take the next step.”

It can take time as players begin their pro careers. That’s the same for a young prospect such as Holtz, who is playing his first season in North America. 

“Some guys it takes a little bit of time to get all those details of the game put together and ready for the next step,” Brylin said. “The fact that he’s putting up points and scoring goals, it tells us he’s on the right path.”

And that willingness to improve carried into this off-season. Dineen, who has been one of Holtz’s biggest helpers likes what he sees thus far.

“I know the effort that went into his summer,” Dineen said. “My expectations are that he’s really taken a commitment to improving some of the skill sets that we’ve challenged him to work on this summer. This (tournament) will be the first taste of that.”

Making a Better Impression

Holtz knows that in order to make the Devils he has to make a better impression than he did when he was called up last season. As Holtz and Dineen pointed out, all he wanted to do was make a good first impression.

“He thought it was going to happen in the first shift of the game. That’s just not the way this thing works,” coach Dineen said. “I think there was a level of patience, he stuck with it, he got his opportunity. Boy, he’s fun to watch when the puck’s on his stick.”

“He’s a special talent and to me, he’s a special kid.”

So as training camp begins, Holtz is in a position to make the Devils lineup. His coach knows he put in the necessary work to make the Devils decision very tough. Now it is all about executing on the ice.

Only time will tell if Alexander Holtz makes the team out of training camp and stays there. But early indications are good especially if he is playing on a line with Jack Hughes and Ondrej Palat.