Blues tender offer sheets to Oilers RFAs Broberg, Holloway

[JR Ewing]

The St. Louis Blues have tendered offer sheets to Edmonton Oilers restricted free agents Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.

The offer to Broberg is for a two-year contract at $4,580,917 per year, the maximum offer that would require a second-round draft pick as compensation. The offer to Holloway is for a two-year contract at $2,290,457 per year, the maximum offer that would require a third-round draft pick as compensation.

The Oilers have seven days to match the offers from the Blues.

"The Blues will have no further comment until the Oilers have made their decision as to whether to match the terms of either offer or accept the commensurate compensation," the Blues said in a release.

St. Louis completed a trade(opens in a new tab) with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier on Tuesday to re-acquire their own 2025 second-round pick, which was required to complete the offer sheet. The Blues acquired their own 2025 second-rounder and a 2026 fifth-rounder, sending a 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick (the Ottawa Senators' selection) to Pittsburgh. 
 

Oilers facing cap crunch, Kane to LTIR?

The Oilers appear to facing a cap crunch as they weigh whether to match the Blues' terms. According to PuckPedia, Edmonton is currently $354,167 over the salary cap with a roster of 12 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders. The team has just over $3 million in dead money on their books for the upcoming season from the past buyouts of James Neal ($1.92 million) and Jack Campbell ($1.1 million). 

TSN's Ryan Rishaug notes the move by the Blues Tuesday makes Evander Kane's health status even more important as to whether the team will receive long-term injured reserve relief. Kane, who was injured throughout the team's playoff run, is signed at a cap hit of $5.125 million through 2025-26. Kane missed the final five games of the Stanley Cup Final. 

Broberg was involved in trade rumours earlier this year after being demoted to the AHL, but returned to the Oilers roster to contribute in the playoffs. The 23-year-old blueliner had two assists in 12 games with Edmonton during the regular season and posted two goals and an assist in 10 games during the postseason, playing in all seven games during the Stanley Cup Final. He carried a cap hit of $863,334 last season.

Holloway also split time between the Oilers and AHL's Bakersfield Condors this past season, posting six goals and nine points in 38 games with the NHL club.

The 22-year-old forward appeared in all 25 games during the postseason, posting five goals and two assists. Selected 14th overall by Edmonton in the 2020 draft, Holloway is coming off his entry-level contract. 

[Math]

The $4,580,917 mentioned for Broberg; it this amount in US dollars or in colombian pesos ?

[JR Ewing]

There's no way the Oilers match on Broberg, and they may well not with Holloway either.

 

Broberg market value: $0.8M

St Louis Blues offer: $4.6M

surplus: +$3.8M

 

Holloway market value: $1.3M

St Louis Blues offer: $2.4M

surplus: $1.1M

 

Overall surplus offered by St Louis: $4.9M

 

I think that Broberg could very well grow into that cap hit, but they need to reserve some cap space for Evan Bouchard's next contract, not to mention that they'll be asking Draisaitl and McDavid to sacrifice some salary so they can pay it to Broberg. I think Broberg and Holloway are both gone, but who knows?

 

--edit---

 

The possibility exists that the Oilers match and then trade Cody Ceci, but Broberg already requested a trade last year because he wasn't getting the playing time he wanted, so the team may be alright seeing him leave town.

 

 

Edited August 13 by JR Ewing

[yave1964]

Wooooow. Didn't see that coming.

 

Broberg a Blue. Pretty much a foregone conclusion. Holloway I think you have to match. 

  Good to see this happening. Good for the game.

[JR Ewing]

20 hours ago, yave1964 said:

Wooooow. Didn't see that coming.

 

Broberg a Blue. Pretty much a foregone conclusion. Holloway I think you have to match. 

  Good to see this happening. Good for the game.

 

With McLeod, Broberg and Holloway gone, the roster would get a lot of speed deleted from the lineup in one fell swoop, and I don't like that at all. The thing is, the Oilers would be paying Holloway $2.4M to play on the fourth line, because they're deep at LW. The current LW depth chart:

 

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Jeff Skinner

Evander Kane

Dylan Holloway / Mattias Janmark

 

He played centre in college, and was also given minutes at pivot in the AHL this year, but the Oilers have a stacked centre group:

 

Connor McDavid

Leon Draisaitl

Adam Henrique

Derek Ryan / Dylan Holloway

 

Either way, Holloway would play as a fourth-liner, and you just can't give a guy that low in the batting order $2.4M. They may match, and then make moves to make the money work, but I'm not sure that would be a good idea.

 

[JR Ewing]

On 8/13/2024 at 8:28 AM, JR Ewing said:

The possibility exists that the Oilers match and then trade Cody Ceci, but Broberg already requested a trade last year because he wasn't getting the playing time he wanted, so the team may be alright seeing him leave town.

 

 

 

 

Report: Edmonton Oilers exploring Cody Ceci, Brett Kulak trades to clear cap space for offer sheets | TSN

TSN.ca Staff

3–4 minutes

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The Edmonton Oilers are exploring the possibility of moving defencemen Cody Ceci and Brett Kulak to help clear cap space, Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch reports.(opens in a new tab)

The Oilers are searching for space to fit Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway under the cap after the two restricted free agents signed offer sheets with the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. 

Edmonton was already $350,000 over the cap before Broberg inked a two-year offer the Blues at $4,580,917 per year and Holloway signed at an average annual value of $2,290,457 on his two-year offer sheet.

Under the public eye and seven-day countdown from Tuesday to match the offer sheets, Garrioch reports interested teams have a set a high price on taking back a contract from the Oilers. He notes the price to move either Ceci's $3.25 million cap hit or Kulak's $2.75 million salary could be a first- or second-round pick as teams feel they have the Oilers front office cornered.

The Oilers could receive $5.125 million if forward Evander Kane is placed on long-term injured reserve, though that would prove to be only a short-term solution if Kane returns during the campaign. TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported earlier this week that he believes surgery is the most likely course of action for Kane, who is not likely to be ready for training camp and could be out several months.

Ceci is entering the last year of his deal and is coming off posting five goals and 25 points in 79 games last season. He added two goals and five points in 24 games during Edmonton's run to the Stanley Cup Final. The 30-year-old blueliner averaged 20:01 of ice time in the regular season and 19:21 in the postseason, which was the third-highest mark among defencemen. 

Kulak is under contract through the 2025-26 and posted three goals and 16 points in 82 games last season, his third with the Oilers. Also 30, Kulak had one goal and eight points in 25 playoff games while averaging 16:29 of ice time. 

St. Louis also paid a price in order to complete to dual offer sheets, completing a trade(opens in a new tab) with the Pittsburgh Penguins just before inking the deals Tuesday to re-acquire their own 2025 second-round pick. The Blues acquired the second-rounder and a 2026 fifth-rounder, sending a 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick (the Ottawa Senators' selection) to Pittsburgh. 

If the Oilers elect not to match the offer sheets, the team will receive a second-round pick back for Broberg and a third-round pick back for Holloway. 

Broberg was involved in trade rumours earlier this year after being demoted to the AHL, but returned to the Oilers roster to contribute in the playoffs. The 23-year-old blueliner had two assists in 12 games with Edmonton during the regular season and posted two goals and an assist in 10 games during the postseason, playing in all seven games during the Stanley Cup Final. He carried a cap hit of $863,334 last season.

Holloway also split time between the Oilers and AHL's Bakersfield Condors this past season, posting six goals and nine points in 38 games with the NHL club.

The 22-year-old forward appeared in all 25 games during the postseason, posting five goals and two assists. Selected 14th overall by Edmonton in the 2020 draft, Holloway is coming off his entry-level contract. 

[OccamsRazor]

On 8/13/2024 at 11:28 AM, JR Ewing said:

they may well not with Holloway either.

 

 

Yep.

 

 

[J0e Th0rnton]

Ceci to the sharks for Emberson and a 3rd.

 

Sharks getting a free draft pick, a RHD player they can throw to the wolves without hurting any of their kids, and probably another pick at the trade deadline given how depth RHD on expiring contracts are valued. I like it.

 

Edmonton gets a year of capspace

 

[JR Ewing]

Oilers elect not to match Blues' offer sheets on Broberg, Holloway

TSN.ca Staff

5–6 minutes

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The Edmonton Oilers have elected not to match the offer sheets from the St. Louis Blues on defenceman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway.

The Oilers had until Tuesday morning to match, seven days after the Blues signed the two restricted free agents. 

Edmonton receives a second-round pick back for Broberg and a third-round pick back for Holloway from the Blues as compensation. Broberg received a two-year offer from the Blues at $4,580,917 per season, while Dylan Holloway's offer was at $2,290,457 per year on a two-year term. 

In a separate transaction Tuesday, St. Louis traded their 2028 third-round draft pick and unsigned 2023 fifth-round draft selection Paul Fischer to Edmonton for future considerations.

Receiving the picks back allows the Oilers to restock after being down to only a sixth- and seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft following their two trades Sunday. The Oilers traded their third-round pick and defenceman Cody Ceci to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenceman Ty Emberson after trading their 2025 fourth-rounder earlier in the day to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Vasily Podkolzin.

The decision also helps the Oilers keep cap space free this season and, importantly next year, with Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard both now eligible to sign extensions.

"By matching the Oilers would have boxed themselves in with the salary cap quite badly," TSN's Ryan Rishaug wrote on X Tuesday. "Letting them walk will hurt because they are good players, but this was a well calculated play by the Blues. Oilers decided to maintain flexibility and options rather than match. Some big contracts coming soon."

With Ceci and Broberg now removed from the Oilers roster, Emberson appears set to hold a role on the blueline this season. The 24-year-old had one goal and nine assists for 10 points in 30 games last season, averaging 18:32 of ice time as a rookie. He is signed at a $950,000 cap hit this season.

Adding Podkolzin may have been added as an insurance policy for not matching on Holloway. Selected 10th overall in the 2019 draft, the 23-year-old has struggled to carve out a full-time role as an NHL player. He had two assists in 19 games last season and has 18 goals and 35 points over 137 career games, all with the Canucks. 

Holloway, Broberg join Blues

The two now-former Oilers join a Blues roster that missed the playoffs for a second straight season last spring. St. Louis was largely quiet in the off-season before inking the offer sheets, adding veteran defenceman Ryan Suter among their few moves. 

The Blues sent a 2025 second-round pick to Pittsburgh Penguins to move Kevin Hayes in exchange for future considerations in late June, but that deal proved costly in their offer-sheet strategy. The Blues needed to re-acquire that selection in order to sign Broberg at the price they did and sent a 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick (the Ottawa Senators' selection) to the Penguins to get their pick and a 2026 fifth-rounder back. 

Broberg, 23, had two assists in 12 games with Edmonton during the regular season in 2023-24 and posted two goals and an assist in 10 games during the postseason, playing in all seven games during the Stanley Cup Final. He averaged 15:47 of ice time in the playoffs. 

Holloway, selected 14th overall by Edmonton in the 2020 draft, split time between the Oilers and AHL's Bakersfield Condors this past season, posting six goals and nine points in 38 games with the NHL club. The 22-year-old forward appeared in all 25 games during the postseason, posting five goals and two assists. 

Oilers become cap compliant

The Oilers appeared to position themselves to match at least one of the offer sheets upon trading Ceci and clearing cap space. 

Moving Ceci cleared his $3.25 million cap hit from the Oilers books, and appeared to set a potential path for the Oilers to fit Broberg and Holloway under the salary cap. PuckPedia reported that the Oilers could have fit both contracts under the salary cap if Evander Kane was placed on long-term injured reserve and one player carrying a cap hit of $801,000 or more is sent to the AHL. 

Shelving Kane on LTIR, though, would likely only be a short-term solution for Edmonton. TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported last this week that he believes surgery is the most likely course of action for Kane, who is not likely to be ready for training camp and could be out several months. The Oilers would eventually need to clear cap space to reinstate him onto the roster should he recover before the end of the regular season.

Electing not to match leaves the Oilers as cap compliant without needing to move Kane on long-term injured reserve.

[OccamsRazor]

On 8/14/2024 at 10:05 AM, JR Ewing said:

then make moves

 

 

More.

 

Oilers are going for it with the window open...one of of not the oldest teams in the NHL.

 

 

Edited August 20 by OccamsRazor

[JR Ewing]

-The optimal thing would have been if Broberg and Holloway had been signed to reasonable contracts, and none of this had happened. The nature of the salary cap means that GMs need to be prepared to shed excess expense and $4.6M and $2.3M are just too much, so take the draft picks. The contracts the Blues have signed them to are outrageous considering what they've done so far in their careers, and would be a terrible match for Edmonton. You can't pay 4th line and 3rd pairing players to that kind of money when you still need to re-sign Draisaitl this summer and then McDavid and Bouchard as well.

-People in Edmonton are catastrophizing this, but for all of the hand wringing,  we're talking about a winger with 9 career goals who scored at a 16 goal rate stapled to one of the top few players in the NHL and a defenseman who is being paid literally 4x his market value. Last season, Broberg requested a trade, and the Oilers couldn't get a 2nd round pick for him. In the end, it's now worked out as a 2nd, two 3rds and Paul Fischer for Broberg and Holloway and $6.9M in cap space saved on the two players.

-Vasiliy Podkolzin is a fair replacement for the speedy winger slot that Holloway occupied, and at an appropriate $900K. I think that Holloway's a bit better, but Podkolzin fits the salary structure far more appropriately.

 

-For a team that came a whisker away and has Cup aspirations still, Cody Ceci just isn't good enough to play 2RD and makes too much for 3RD. Ty Emberson will provide a major defensive upgrade for a low cap hit and I think the Sharks did well, too.

 

-This makes the Oilers cap compliant, and with Kane on LTIR, the team accrues cap space through the season. They can load up to make a mockery of the salary cap at the deadline, ala Vegas and Tampa Bay.

Edited August 20 by JR Ewing