Blues Target Oilers Young Stars with Offer Sheets

The St. Louis Blues have made a bold move in the NHL, offering contracts to two promising young players from the Edmonton Oilers. They’ve presented offer sheets to defenseman Philip Broberg and winger Dylan Holloway, both of whom showed great potential in the Oilers’ journey to the Stanley Cup Final.

Broberg’s offer sheet is a two-year contract worth $4,580,917, while Holloway’s is set at $2,290,457 for the same duration. The compensation for the Oilers would be a second-round pick for Broberg and a third-round pick for Holloway if they choose not to match the offers.

Currently, the Oilers are facing a tight salary cap situation, being over the $85 million cap limit by $341,667. They now have a week to decide whether to match the Blues’ offers or accept the compensation, which would be a significant loss of two talented players.

The Blues have been strategic with their offers, knowing the Oilers are pressed for cap space. With over $7 million available, St. Louis has positioned itself well to potentially land both players.

Philip Broberg, who has been seen as a future top-four defenseman, was expected to compete for a significant role during training camp. Meanwhile, Holloway, who had a strong playoff performance with five goals, was anticipated to solidify a spot on the Oilers’ roster.

The Oilers might consider putting Evander Kane on long-term injury status to create some cap relief, but that situation is complicated. Decisions may also need to be made about moving other players, like Cody Ceci or Brett Kulak, to free up more money.

This isn’t the first time offer sheets have been used in the NHL, although they’ve become rarer in recent years. The last significant one was Carolina’s offer to Montreal’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi in 2021. The stakes are high for the Oilers, and they’ll need to act quickly to maintain their roster’s strength.