Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway have both signed with the St. Louis Blues after the Edmonton Oilers’ offer did not match the Blues’ offer sheets on Aug. 13.
Edmonton had until Tuesday to match the offers and retain the restricted free agents, or receive NHL draft compensation from St. Louis.
“We were evaluating the situation we were in when the player offers came in, and given that, as well as the other constraints we have, we didn’t feel that limiting our options in the future not just this year but in the future was the right move,” Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said. “So, it’s not about the players and their ability and talent. It’s really about trying to put ourselves in the best position we can be in, so we have some options.”
Broberg’s contract (two years, $9.16 million; average annual value $4.58 million) results in a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft as compensation. Holloway’s contract (two years, $4.58 million; average annual value $2.29 million) requires a third-round pick.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about the work,” Broberg said. “I’m very excited about the opportunity here in St. Louis. I’m very grateful for the years I spent in Edmonton and the teammates and coaches I worked with 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 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 23-year-old defenseman, who was selected in the first round (No. 8) of the 2019 NHL Draft, had 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 offers from two other teams but he and his agent chose St. Louis.
“It’s been crazy,” Broberg said. “I’m really excited to be a part of the team and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and getting to know the staff and everyone and my teammates. I’m really excited. … I think this team has some really good young guys and I want to help the team in any way I can. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do next year.”
Holloway, a 22-year-old forward, had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 38 regular-season games with the Oilers last season and seven points (five goals, two assists) in 25 playoff games. The No. 14 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft 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 very often, but it was an opportunity I really couldn’t pass up,” Holloway said. “For me, we were trying to get a number with Edmonton and we were pretty far along in our negotiations, I would say. With St. Louis as well, I was able to talk to (general manager) Doug Armstrong before we signed and he gave me a sense of where St. Louis was going as a team. How they have such a good young core and their goals for the next two years. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with the offer sheet… but I thought it would be a good option for me anyway.”
The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final last season before losing to the Florida Panthers in seven games. The Blues have not qualified for the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.
“We watched these two young players when they were in their draft year and watched their development,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said of Broberg and Holloway. “They’ve been on a very competitive team the last couple of years and have bounced around the MLS and NHL while Edmonton was working on the salary cap. We’ve seen really good growth from them in the MLS and what they did last year in the playoffs.”
In a separate deal Tuesday, the Blues traded promising unsigned defenseman Paul Fisher, a fifth-round pick (No. 138) in the 2023 NHL Draft, as well as a third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, to the Oilers in exchange for future considerations.
The last offer leading to a player change for the team before Tuesday was made to Montreal Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who signed a one-year, $6.1 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Aug. 28, 2021. Montreal received a first- and third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft as compensation.
Compensation for a team that loses a player to a roster offer increases from no compensation for a contract worth $1.51 million or less per season, to four first-round picks for a contract worth more than $11.45 million per season.
On Sunday, the Oilers acquired defenseman Ty Emberson from the San Jose Sharks and forward Vasiliy Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks. Edmonton also traded defenseman Cody Ceci with a third-round pick in the 2025 draft for Emberson and a fourth-round pick in 2025 for Podkolzin.
“We weren’t going to set ourselves up for just one season,” Bowman said. “So we made those subsequent moves so we could bring in two young players, an additional draft pick, an additional prospect. So, I think when you look at it as a whole, you realize we were in a tough spot, but I thought we made the best series of trades to put us in a good position going into training camp.”
Emberson had 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 30 games as a rookie last season with the Sharks, who signed the 24-year-old to a one-year, $950,000 contract on July 11.
Podkolzin, 23, had two assists in 19 NHL games last season and 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 44 games with Abbotsford in the American Hockey League. Podkolzin, who was selected No. 10 by Vancouver in the 2019 NHL draft, has 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in 137 games. He is entering the first season of a two-year contract he signed with the Canucks on April 18.
Cisse had 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 79 games last season. The 30-year-old also had five points (two goals, three assists) in 24 playoff games.
He has one season remaining on the four-year, $13 million ($3.25 million average annual value) contract he signed with Edmonton on July 28, 2021.