On Monday of last week, the St. Louis Blues gave offer sheets to two Edmonton Oiler restricted free agents Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway . The deals were different to each player. It came down to the wire, but a decision on Broberg is now final. The report suggests the Oilers decided not to match the offer sheet of either player. Now, Broberg receives a two-year contract, with an average annual value of $4,580,917 with the St. Louis Blues. This means the Oilers receive a second-round draft choice as compensation. If it was for just a dollar more, the next tier of competition would have kicked-in. This would have gave the Oilers a first and third-round pick instead.
The Oilers are not expected to match the Blues' offer sheets to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, per @FriedgeHNIC. pic.twitter.com/2XZvb6IcM6
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 20, 2024
The St. Louis Blues Sign Defenceman Philip Broberg to Contract
However, after only appearing in 12 regular season games for the Oilers in 2023-24, it seems the organization made a shift in his deployment. Broberg got in for the final three victories against the Dallas Stars in their 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Western Conference final series . Then, he kept the momentum rolling by playing in all seven games of the final. His play, combining some offence with two goals and skating 15:48 a night showed his size and mobility and why he could be such an asset. His performance in the games when it mattered the most was a huge reason for general manager Doug Armstrong identifying his potential importance to the club.
What Does this Mean for the St. Louis Blues and Broberg
People were surprised with the AAV that Armstrong presented in this offer sheet. It was a decisive move, forcing the Oilers hand, as they were against the cap. Edmonton has since made a couple trades, involving Cody Ceci and Vasily Podkolzin, but ultimately decided to let Philip Broberg go to the Blues on this contract. The Oilers didn’t have cap flexibility, whereas the Blues did. Therefore, they were able to offer the inexperienced Broberg a large contract. Now, the onus shifts to the player. So, it really is up to Broberg himself how much ice time he gets based on his play. The nice thing about doing that in St. Louis, is the club’s expectations aren’t so high, like they are in the Stanley Cup hungry Edmonton.
Be the first to comment