Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway each signed a two-year contract with the St. Louis Blues after the Edmonton Oilers did not match the offer sheets tendered by the Blues on Aug. 13.
Edmonton had until Tuesday to match the offers and keep the restricted free agents or receive NHL Draft compensation from St. Louis.
“We were evaluating the situation that we were in when those offer sheets came in and given that, as well as the other constraints that we have, we didn’t feel like it was the right move to essentially limit our optionality moving forward not only this year but in the future,” Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said. “So, it’s less about the players and the abilities and their talents. It’s really about trying to set ourselves up in the best position that we can be, so that we have some options.”
Broberg’s contract ($9.16 million, $4.58 million average annual value) resulted in a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft as compensation. Holloway’s contract ($4.58 million, $2.29 million AAV) resulted in a third-round pick.
“At the end of the day, it’s business,” Broberg said. “I’m very excited for the opportunity here in St. Louis. I’m very thankful for the years in Edmonton as well and for the teammates and coaches I had there. I’m looking forward to a new chapter in St. Louis now.”
Broberg had two assists in 12 regular-season games with the Oilers last season and three points (two goals, one assist) in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Selected by Edmonton with the No. 8 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, the 23-year-old defenseman has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 81 regular-season games and three points (two goals, one assist) in 20 playoff games.
Broberg said he received offer sheets from two other teams but he and his agent chose St. Louis.
“It’s been wild,” Broberg said. “I’m very excited to be a Blue and I’m very looking forward to meeting everybody and getting to know the staff and everybody and teammates. I’m just excited. … I think this team has some very good young guys and I would like to help the team in any way I can. I’m looking forward to see what we can do next year.”
Holloway, a 22-year-old forward, had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 38 regular-season games for the Oilers last season and seven points (five goals, two assists) in 25 playoff games. Selected by Edmonton with the No. 14 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Holloway has 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 89 regular-season games and seven points (five goals, two assists) in 26 playoff games.
“It’s kind of a crazy opportunity, it doesn’t happen often, but it was an opportunity I really couldn’t pass up,” Holloway said. “For myself, we were trying to get a number with Edmonton and we were just pretty far off in our negotiations, I’d say. With St. louis, too I was able to talk to (general manager) Doug Armstrong before I signed it and he gave me a vision of where St. Louis is going as a team. Just how they have such a good young core group and their goals for the next couple of years. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with the offer sheet … but I figured either way it’d be a good option for me.”
