Blues Offer Sheets for Oilers’ Young Stars

In a surprising move, the St. Louis Blues have made headlines by tendering offer sheets for two young players from the Edmonton Oilers. The Blues signed restricted free agents Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to two-year deals.

This marks the first time in years that an NHL team has used offer sheets to strengthen its roster. Now the Oilers have a week to decide whether to match these offers.

The Blues, looking to freshen up their lineup after missing the playoffs for the last two seasons, have recently made some changes, including bringing in a new coach, Drew Bannister, and trading center Kevin Hayes to Pittsburgh.

Broberg, a 23-year-old defenseman, was the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He has put in 81 games for Edmonton, and played a key role in their playoff run last spring.

On the other hand, 22-year-old Dylan Holloway was drafted 14th overall in 2020. He’s known for his speed and toughness on the ice, making a significant impact in the playoffs where he led his team in hits.

The offer sheets are at $4,580,917 for Broberg and $2,290,457 for Holloway, which are maximum values requiring specific compensations should the Oilers choose not to match. If they don’t, St. Louis would get a second-round pick for Broberg and a third-round pick for Holloway.

The Blues were able to make these offers because they had cleared space by trading for a draft pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier in the day. This allowed them to position themselves strategically for this important move.

While offer sheets are rarely used in the NHL, the current economic climate in the league is changing. With a rise in the salary cap expected, the Blues are taking advantage, while the Oilers face some tough cap decisions.

Oilers’ new GM, Stan Bowman, is facing a big choice regarding Broberg and Holloway amidst some complicated salary cap dynamics after significant signings in recent weeks.

Fans and analysts alike are waiting to see if the Oilers will match the offer sheets. If they do, the players can’t be traded for a year, but it might also lead to some intriguing developments as other teams may take notice of this move.