When Holl signed a three-year 10.2 million dollar contract with the Red Wings this summer, many thought it was a huge overpay and it would immediately blow up in Steve Yzerman's face. So far though Yzerman has proven once again that you should never doubt the Yzerplan.
While Holl and the Red Wings have cooled off a bit recently, he still leads the team with a +7 rating. Meanwhile, the biggest name defenders on the team, Moritz Seider and Shane Gostisbehere and both a -1. The Red Wings are currently 2nd in the Atlantic with an impressive 6-3-1 record. Holl has been a significant part of the team's improved play this season.
Holl was always an enigma in Toronto. He was generally used as a bottom pair defenseman, often getting healthy scratched. Even with his minor role on the team though, he somehow became one of the most controversial players on the team. Many blamed him for several Leafs loses throughout the season and he certainly had some interesting moments.
Although he does not mention the Leafs by name here, it is heavily implied that he felt undervalued in Toronto. The Leafs are the only team he's played for in the NHL prior to this season. Perhaps he is referring more to the way the fans treated him than management but that remains unclear. Holl and the Red Wings are looking to make a playoff birth for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
