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The Upcoming Season is Make-or-Break for Alexander Holtz
Main Photo: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The Upcoming Season is Make-or-Break for Alexander Holtz

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports  |  By Nick Natale  |  Last updated 8/5/23

Since being selected 7th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Alexander Holtz has been tapped to be an elite goalscorer in the league. Holtz was selected during a time when Kyle Palmieri was their only goal threat. Jack Hughes had been selected the year prior, and Holtz was poised to be his running mate for years to come. Fast forward three years later and the jury is still out on him.

Holtz’s Up and Down Post-Draft Years

The Swedish winger had mixed reviews in his draft +1 season back in his home country. He put up a modest 18 points in 40 games in the SHL, before coming over for a cup of coffee with Utica. During his brief time in 2020-21, he scored three points in 10 games.

However, it was the following year that he made an impression. He produced at a point-per-game rate in the AHL, scoring 51 points in 52 games. Holtz’s production during the season was enough to earn a nine-game call-up, where he had only two assists. The main takeaway with Holtz was his lack of NHL footspeed. His shot is elite and his playmaking is sneakily above-average. But he looked a clear step behind most players out on the ice. It was clear what his focus would be heading into the offseason.

Holtz’s Difficult 2022-23 Season

During training camp for the 2022-23 season, Holtz looked like he had taken a jump. There was a noticeable spring in his stride, and the coaches knew it. For much of camp and preseason, Holtz played on a line with Hughes and Ondrej Palat and looked comfortable doing so. That line had synergy in games against the Islanders and Rangers, and it looked as if the Devils had something with the trio. However, the coaches inexplicably split that lineup when the regular season rolled around. And despite scoring his first goal on opening night, Holtz could not find any consistency in his game.

This led to a shaky season for Holtz. He was consistently in and out of the lineup and was having a tough time gelling with line-mates. After playing just 19 games and scoring only four points, the Devils finally sent him down. In Utica, he found his scoring touch again to a lesser degree, putting up 11 points in 14 games. It was a season that he was admittedly frustrated over.

After a brutally honest exit interview following the conclusion of the Devils season, it is now make-or-break time for Holtz. It is likely another offseason of improving his skating to get to the NHL level. That being said, there is still a player in there that can be a game-changer for the Devils.

Reasons for Optimism for Holtz

Forward Alexander Holtz’s calling card is his shot. It is what got GM Tom Fitzgerald to select him in the top 10. And despite not breaking through at the NHL level, there is a path for him to become a core player on this team. There is a forward the team recently acquire that Holtz should keep a close eye on. Tyler Toffoli is a player that has a lot of likeness to Holtz. Both have elite shots and are underrated playmakers, despite having deficiencies in their skating. While it is a surface-level comparison, it is enough of a rough outline for Holtz to look at and see how he can have success in the NHL.

In the case of the 2023-24 season, there is potential for an opening night spot in the lineup. Whether Lindy Ruff decides to put Toffoli in the top six or on a third line with likely Erik Haula and Palat, there is at least one spot on the wings open in the Devils top nine. The coaches have shown they won’t hand the spot over to Holtz without earning it, but he is the clear frontrunner.

Forward Alexander Holtz hitting and becoming a staple in this lineup would be massive for the organization. For starters, it confirms that he isn’t a bust, but it also means adding another young, cheap goalscorer. With Toffoli on an expiring contract, if Holtz can pop and score 20+ goals, the Devils won’t feel pressured to extend the 32-year-old. Holtz would have one more season on his entry-level contract and give the team added flexibility to strengthen other areas.

The expectations for Holtz early on were lofty. Some thought he could be a perennial 30-goal scorer. Those days may be over, but if he can be a consistent 20-25 goal scorer and threat on the power play, he could be an integral player for the Devils top six for years to come.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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