Edmonton Oilers
Blues Get Bold with Offer Sheets For Oilers’ Broberg and Holloway
The Blues tendered offer sheets to Oilers’ RFAs Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, pressuring Edmonton’s already tight salary cap.
The St. Louis Blues made a bold move on Tuesday, tendering offer sheets to Edmonton Oilers’ restricted free agents Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. The Blues announced the offers in a brief statement, adding that they will not comment further until the Oilers decide whether to match the offers or accept the compensation.
The Blues offered Broberg a two-year deal worth $4.58 million annually and Holloway a two-year contract at $2.29 million annually.
This strategy to use the offer sheet route, a rare one, puts pressure on the Oilers. They were already in a tight spot with their salary cap. Now, the team will be forced to make moves to retain either player, should they choose to match the offers. Edmonton now has seven days to match, as stipulated by the NHL collective bargaining agreement.
The Oilers, however, are already more than $350,000 over the salary cap, having recently made several moves in free agency, including adding forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner, signing defenseman Josh Brown, and re-signing several key players like Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark, Adam Henrique, and Corey Perry. With these new signings, Edmonton is in a difficult position to match the offer sheets without making additional roster changes.
Philip Broberg, 23, has appeared in 81 games for the Oilers over the past three seasons, recording two goals and 11 assists after being selected 8th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. Dylan Holloway, 22, has played in 89 games since debuting with the Oilers in the 2022-23 season, having been drafted 14th overall in 2020.
What Will the Oilers Do?: Match or Not Match Broberg and Holloway Offer Sheets?
If the Oilers choose not to match the offers, they will receive compensation in the form of draft picks: a second-round pick for Broberg and a third-rounder for Holloway. To prepare for this possibility, the Blues made a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins to acquire the necessary draft picks, swapping their 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick (originally from Ottawa) for their own 2025 second-round pick and Pittsburgh’s 2026 fifth-round pick.
If the Oilers match on a player, he can’t be traded for a year.
For Edmonton, the situation is complicated by the status of winger Evander Kane, who is dealing with sports hernia issues that may require surgery. If Kane is placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), his $5.5 million cap hit would provide some relief, potentially allowing the Oilers to keep one of the players, but not both, without additional moves. According to 630 CHED’s Bob Stauffer, Kane’s injury likely warrants surgery, making his placement on LTIR a strong possibility.
In terms of retaining Holloway, the Oilers might need to make a trade. The most likely options would be sending Cody Ceci or Brett Kulak out. Ceci has one year left on a $3.25 million contract, while Kulak has two years remaining on a $2.75 million deal. The issue here becomes what happens if they move and don’t retain Broberg. They would be out two important defenders.
Next: Evander Kane’s Recent Injury News Complicates Things for Oilers
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