Oilers Face Big Decision on Young Players

The Edmonton Oilers are at a crucial crossroads as they decide whether to match contract offers for their promising young players, Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, made by the St. Louis Blues.

Today marks the deadline for the Oilers to respond, and tensions are high. After a couple of significant trades over the weekend, it looks like they are leaning towards keeping Broberg while possibly letting Holloway slip away.

This change comes after the Oilers traded away two defensemen, Cody Ceci and Vincent Desharnais, opening up some cap space and ice time that could be filled by Broberg if they choose to keep him.

Jeremy Rutherford, a writer for The Athletic, mentioned that with these trades, it appears more feasible for the Oilers to hang onto Broberg rather than Holloway. This sentiment seems to be echoing through the hockey community.

If the Oilers decide to match the deals, Broberg would take up the ice time and salary that was previously dedicated to Ceci and Desharnais. Many observers believe this would be a smart move given Broberg’s potential, especially after his performance in the Stanley Cup Final.

Another layer of this decision-making process is Evander Kane’s potential move to Long Term Injured Reserve, which could ease the salary cap strain the Oilers are experiencing.

As the trades occurred, the Oilers also brought in a new defenseman, Ty Emberson, from the San Jose Sharks, looking to add depth and perhaps fill in for Desharnais and Ceci’s missing minutes.

Additionally, some fans are left wondering about Holloway’s fate. With the recent pick-up of forwards, including Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks, there are voices suggesting Holloway’s time in Edmonton is coming to an end.

The offer sheets from the Blues feature a two-year contract for Broberg worth $4.58 million annually, and another for Holloway, which stands at $2.29 million each year. If the Oilers walk away, they will receive second and third-round picks as compensation.