The Detroit Red Wings had a season full of ups and downs. Unfortunately, the season had more downs than ups.
But one player stands out as riding that rollercoaster ride more than others: Justin Holl.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Justin Holl isn’t necessarily a bad player. It’s just that he hasn’t been the guy the Detroit Red Wings hoped he would be when they signed him to a questionable three-year deal in 2023.
Holl had been run out of Toronto that year. He’d been criticized for his poor defensive play, often taking the blame for the team’s collective failures. Holl received much the same treatment that Jake Gardiner had gotten a few seasons back.
So, it made sense that Holl wanted a fresh start somewhere else and the Wings were hoping that a change of scenery would allow Holl to find that extra gear he never got in Toronto.
Holl, however, hasn’t found his footing in Detroit. After a rough 2023-24 season in which he played just 38 games, Holl was cut in training camp last fall. The Wings felt he wasn’t ready to make the team.
But injuries, among other things, forced the Detroit Red Wings to bring Justin Holl back up to the big team. He ended up playing 73 games this season, chipping in eight points. Holl, of course, is by no means an offensive defenseman. He’s not the type of guy who’s paid to put points on the board like Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes.
Holl hasn’t made a name for himself as a solid defensive blue liner, either. If we go by the eye test alone, oh boy, he got torched far too many times throughout the season. There were times when he looked like his feet were caught in a cement mixer.
I can’t even begin to recount all the times I saw opposition forwards blow past Holl, or merely see Holl puck-watching as everything around him unfolded.
That’s why it’s worth taking a closer look at his advanced stats to pass judgment on Holl’s season.
Advanced metrics for Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Holl
Let’s start with the positives. Holl played 73 games, racking up 1,079 minutes. For comparison's sake, Ben Chiarot played 1,719, while Moritz Seider nearly doubled him at 2,055.
Holl’s ice time accounted for 24.4% of his share of possible ice time. In that span, Holl delivered 35 hits and took just 16 penalty minutes. That’s not bad as he didn’t put his team in a tough position by taking a slew of dumb penalties.
Additionally, Holl blocked 78 shots all season. That placed him fifth on the team. Seider led the club with 181 blocks, with Simon Edvinsson second with 144.
But that’s the end of the positives, I’m afraid.
The bulk of Holl’s shifts started on the fly, as is generally the case. But the majority of his shifts started in the neutral zone (12.3%) compared to the defensive zone (11.2%). That signals the coaching staff’s lack of trust in Holl at either end of the ice.
Perhaps the most telling number is Holl’s differential between giveaways and takeaways. Holl registered eight takeaways, which was effectively last on the team. Only three other non-regulars had fewer takeaways than Holl.
Things get really dicey for Holl in the giveaways column. He registered 66 giveaways all season long. Yes, Chiarot and Seider had more. When considering that Holl is a third-pairing defenseman, at best, with limited ice time every night, that total is far too high.
One last number. Holl’s on-ice goal differential was a minus-20. That’s actually higher than his raw plus-minus rating of -7. That’s a number that just won’t cut it for a team that will be looking to improve on this past season and get back into the playoff hunt.
Final Grade: F
I hate to give a guy a failing grade. But what makes this grade so tough is Holl’s cap hit. He’s due $3.4 million for one more season. That’s far too high for a depth defenseman with little offensive upside.
If Holl’s offensive upside could offset his poor defensive play, I could see past his often head-scratching plays.
Perhaps the Wings find a trade partner for Holl this summer. I doubt it, but it could be a way of unloading his contract and opening up a roster spot next season.
(Stats courtesy of Money Puck)