Confirmed with Link: Oilers Do Not Match Broberg ($4.58M X2) & Holloway ($2.29M x 2) Offer Sheets | Oilers acquire STL 3rd '28 & Paul Fischer for Futures

[Broberg Speed]

It's been reported that Oilers brass knew what each player wanted, and if this is the case and the numbers are accurate, 1.8 for Broberg and 1.2 for Holloway, then it's on JJ for not inking them to deals. Instead it seems that they tried to let it slide and get them on cheaper deals.

I'm having a hard time blaming anyone but the current boss, but this is all based on reports that I don't know the validity of.

My initial reaction was to absolve the front office of mismanagement because I felt like it was on the two players for signing the deals to begin with. But I can't blame players for going after money. Ever.

So I dunno. Really seems like Edmonton tried to lowball, for right or wrong, and it bit them. That's on the Oilers.

As far as I'm concerned we shouldn't waste our time worrying about Holloway or Broberg. We can't afford them, they are Blues. Accept the compensation and move on.

Fair game to demand management find other avenues to improve the team. They need to start doing something.

 

[Forgot About Drai]

The more I think of it, the more I believe you have to let Bro go. NHL GMs are obsessed with young RD though, so I can see them panicking and matching. 80% of Bro value is tied up in his cheapness... with that gone, I don't love the player nearly as much

 

[Broberg Speed]

If they signed Broberg to 1.8 the same people blaming JJ for not signing him at 1.8 would be the same ones blaming him for an overpay.

When players are on ELCs without arb rights the GMs almost always lowball them.

wrong

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Hahaha youre not wrong. It's sad but true.

But now they've seen the alternative, and I think they all wish they could send him that 1.8 contract and have him sign it.

I also don't take the opinions of an easy 50% of the board seriously anyways, so there's that

True - I also edited my post - from crying to blaming. But the GM is supposed to lowball ELCs first deal as that is the only time the team has leverage. It sort of backfired as you say.

I’m at about 85%

 

[GOilers88]

As far as I'm concerned we shouldn't waste our time worrying about Holloway or Broberg. We can't afford them, they are Blues. Accept the compensation and move on.

Fair game to demand management find other avenues to improve the team. They need to start doing something.

I still think I keep Holloway. I know it's a gamble but at worst he's going to be a decent third line energy guy. At best his game rounds out and he's a (pre 40 goal) hyman like player.

Also I could be wrong and Holloway could turn out to be injury plagued and toasted. But currently I like him

True - I also edited my post - from crying to blaming. But the GM is supposed to lowball ELCs first deal as that is the only time the team has leverage. It sort of backfired as you say.

I’m at about 85%

Totally agree. I don't think there was any real irregularities in how the two were handled, other than the fact that someone had balls enough to offersheet the same team for multiple players at a maximum dollar to minimum compensation value.

Armstrong made a really solid play and I hope to see more of this around the league.

 

[Broberg Speed]

I still think I keep Holloway. I know it's a gamble but at worst he's going to be a decent third line energy guy. At best his game rounds out and he's a (pre 40 goal) hyman like player.

Also I could be wrong and Holloway could turn out to be injury plagued and toasted. But currently I like him

What does this say to the big boys who the fanbase expect to take less?

 

[guymez]

The Perry signing had no bearing on this whatsoever.
The Oilers couldn't have signed Broberg to this contract regardless of the Perry contract and it's buriable anyway so it has no effect on the cap if the Oilers wanted to squeeze Broberg in.
What makes you think they prioritized Perry over Broberg and Holloway? It seems pretty clear that the two were waiting out bigger offers so there's nothing JJ could have done, the lowball offers obviously weren't going to get them signed and the Oilers couldn't afford to sign them to anything more than a lowball contract.

Again, and some people don't want to hear this, the Nurse and Campbell contracts are the main reasons why the Oilers were in a tight enough cap crunch to be vulnerable to offer sheets like this, the Brown bonus too, not the players fault but still major strains on the cap. The Perry contract is a fart in the wind.

I am certainly not in the group of posters that dont want to hear about Nurse and Campbell.
I must have made 5 or 6 posts about their contracts being a major part of the problem with this teams cap situation.
Those contracts are an obvious issue.
Regarding the Perry contract...its not irrelevant, The player is irrelevant but the contract isnt. It eats up money that could go somewhere else and its fair to say that $1.15M matters when the team is up against the cap like this team is.
Could it have been used for Holloway or Broberg? You have no more information about that than I do.
We are both operating on trying to piece together information. To suggest that you know for sure that $1.15M wouldnt have mattered is a little disingenuous....no?

 

[Spawn]

The idea of cheap depth supplementing your team is a sham. Either they get unfairly overpaid like Yamo or Pool based on small samples and a dumb arbitrator. Or if they don’t get ice time they sulk like p***yes. Or this scenario where another team just steals years of development away from us cause they can’t realistically compete anyways. I see now where teams like the Lightning were coming from with their constant shipping out picks for players that can help now. Only shitty part about it, is we can’t supplement through free agency like the No tax, always Sunny, teams.

A f***in sham!!!!

The Oilers are built far more through free agency than the Lightning were for their cup teams. If Holloway and Broberg aren’t matched this team has 3 home grown forwards and 2 home grown D-men and Skinner in net. Ekholm was a trade. Everyone else was a UFA signing.

The difference between Edmonton and Tampa isn’t no taxes sunny state. It’s that Tampa was consistently finding contributing players with picks outside the 1st round and did an amazing job signing undrafted players out of juniors/college.

 

[GOilers88]

What does that say to the big boys who the fanbase expect to take less?

The big boys were also little boys playing for their own bag at one point too so I'm sure they understand.

The big boys who are expected to take 12 million instead of 15 million (which is still silly for anyone to expect athletes to take discounts and who have already set up themselves and their families for life) is far different from the small boys trying to set themselves and their families up for life being expected to take league minimum instead of double league minimum.

 

[foshizzle]

But why would Broberg sign before the end of the summer when he asked for a trade and was stuck in the minors? Holloways case is bit different but why not wait for the summer? What incentive do the players have to sign when they were stuck in the AHL


Holloway is a reckless player. He will end up injured unless he changes his game. However if he changes his game he won’t be as an effective. Maybe he sees this and is why he chose money over winning. Can’t blame him for that. It’ll be interesting to see how he plays as well. After getting the money some guys priorities change and the hunger goes away

Broberg didn’t ask for a trade- his agent did. Apparently, according to the boys on EST Holland and Broberg had a good relationship and this ask was driven by the agent unannounced to the player.

AHL players sign contracts all the time. Broberg’s incentive would be that he is signed for another contract. Everyone here had Broberg in trade proposals and had given up on him. If he didn’t play in the playoffs this year- he is qualified by the Oilers and he signs. I love how every poster asking “why would he sign- he would get a bigger offer in the summer” forgot what they thought of him last year.

 

[The Moose]

Whatever they do, it should be to improve the team for the next two seasons, even if it comes at the expense of long term planning. Assuming we manage to get $6 mil in available cap space, are the money better spent on Broberg and Holloway, or on another players, either now or at the trade deadline?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

The Oilers are built far more through free agency than the Lightning were for their cup teams. If Holloway and Broberg aren’t matched this team has 3 home grown forwards and 2 home grown D-men and Skinner in net. Ekholm was a trade. Everyone else was a UFA signing.

The difference between Edmonton and Tampa isn’t no taxes sunny state. It’s that Tampa was consistently finding contributing players with picks outside the 1st round and did an amazing job signing undrafted players out of juniors/college.

This is why Holland's drafting "prowess" hurts so much. He didn't even need to draft superstars, he needed to draft players that would supplement the team. The two that started to show promise are likely to leave with no real return. Draft picks mean little if they aren't utilized properly.

 

[McMoMoney29]

I think we’re screwed if we match that Broberg contract. It’s just too much and Im not convinced he’s a top4 dman, yet. I would’ve loved to keep him and see what he turns in to but it’s just too much money. Holloway is less of a loss but is cheaper to match I can see us matching. I think we screwed ourselves over signing Jeff skinner, don’t need him, was 100% comfortable playing Holloway top 6 minutes.

 

[Broberg Speed]

I am certainly not in the group of posters that dont want to hear about Nurse and Campbell.
I must have made 5 or 6 posts about their contracts being a major part of the problem with this teams cap situation.
Those contracts are an obvious issue.
Regarding the Perry contract...its not irrelevant, The player is irrelevant but the contract isnt. It eats up money that could go somewhere else and its fair to say that $1.15M matters when the team is up against the cap like this team is.
Could it have been used for Holloway or Broberg? You have no more information about that than I do.
We are both operating on trying to piece together information. To suggest that you know for sure that $1.15M wouldnt have mattered is a little disingenuous....no?

I agree. Perry's contract does matter and he counts as a roster spot. I don't expect him to be sent to the minors.

 

[foshizzle]

Broberg had the highest xGA in the playoffs on his right side. He also had the most efficient zone exits. All in a small sample size. I’ve said it before- if the Oilers are going to pay him 4.6M to play on his wrong side- that would be monumentally stupid. If they match- the oilers will either have a 9.25M 3rd pairing d man or a 4.6M 3rd pairing d man.

Put Kane on LTIR.

Sign Holloway. (Should have done that a month ago, but I guess there technically was no G.M.).

Let Broberg go.

___________

I like Broberg, and it seems crazy to let a young-ish defense prospect go just as he's rounding into form (seemingly), but my personal expectation of Holloway's celiing is higher than my expectation of Broberg's ceiling. Remember that just before the '24 playoffs, Broberg was starting to look like a minor bust in the making. He had 7 or 8 great playoff games (a couple poor ones), and that's indeed impressive in the situation he was in, but looking at his overall development, I'd say he's just "okay".

It’s always more favourable to put a player on LTIR after the season starts. Where the Oilers f’d up is prioritizing Perry over Holloway.

 

[Broberg Speed]

I think we’re screwed if we match that Broberg contract. It’s just too much and Im not convinced he’s a top4 dman, yet. I would’ve loved to keep him and see what he turns in to but it’s just too much money. Holloway is less of a loss but is cheaper to match I can see us matching. I think we screwed ourselves over signing Jeff skinner, don’t need him, was 100% comfortable playing Holloway top 6 minutes.

An added factor is both these players get blown up with regularity. I'd like to know if they can grow out of that and stay healthy before committing big bucks.

 

[foshizzle]

I agree EXCEPT we do have alot of forwards and forward prospects. On defence, after Broberg, we have Wanner, Kemp and Akey.

I don't think losing Broberg is wise.

But where do you play Broberg?

 

[K1984]

Whatever they do, it should be to improve the team for the next two seasons, even if it comes at the expense of long term planning. Assuming we manage to get $6 mil in available cap space, are the money better spent on Broberg and Holloway, or on another players, either now or at the trade deadline?

My first instinct was to let Broberg walk and keep Holloway. But for what?

It was timely that Holloway stepped in and played well as Kane was hobbled, but Holloway either wasn't playing, or not doing much through the regular season while Kane was a shadow of himself. We still would have won the Conference with this reality if we didn't choose to implode out of the gate.

Next year we have more bodies on LW to play during the regular season even without Kane, then we would be getting a fresh Kane at the deadline or playoffs. We really don't need him, and as you said, this opens up an opportunity to get aggressive in an area of more need, which is experience in top 4 defence.

 

[foshizzle]

I think we’re screwed if we match that Broberg contract. It’s just too much and Im not convinced he’s a top4 dman, yet. I would’ve loved to keep him and see what he turns in to but it’s just too much money. Holloway is less of a loss but is cheaper to match I can see us matching. I think we screwed ourselves over signing Jeff skinner, don’t need him, was 100% comfortable playing Holloway top 6 minutes.

Jeff Skinner is a way better player than Holloway right now and is a steal at 3M. Having his offense in the finals would have been huge. Holloway is a 3rd/4th liner right now with upside to move up

 

[Broberg Speed]

But where do you play Broberg?

Losing both players suck. They are ready to be NHL regulars even if they have little experience outside of a playoff run. We just can't afford either right now.

 

[foshizzle]

I personally don't want Holloway back. Rather have the 3rd and use it at the deadline. Idiot can't even see he's just a pawn to handcuff the Oilers. If Broberg was the only one getting offersheet, I bet you we match that right away.

Holloway made a bad decision. His OS isn’t really that great. He would have had a chance to play higher up in the Oilers line up as soon as 25-26 on a cup contender. Now, who knows if he ever sniffs the finals again or gets close. I constantly hear veterans telling young players to “enjoy the ride” because you never know when you will get there again

 

[Canovin]

If this was another year where the team didn't come the stanley cup final game 7 and are not taking discounts to win it all next season, I wouldn't be too upset with Holloway going for the bag. But this just feels like burning the bridge move. There's no way anyone can blame Broberg tho. That's lotto money right there.

 

[McTonyBrar]

But where do you play Broberg?

Beside Nurse. Yes they weren't amazing but it's a pairing that can be built by progression and experience. Nurse the risks and goals. Broberg the smarts and smart defensive play.

Broberg is more comfortable on the right side. This pair can work if we decide to match Broberg

 

[McMoMoney29]

Jeff Skinner is a way better player than Holloway right now and is a steal at 3M. Having his offense in the finals would have been huge. Holloway is a 3rd/4th liner right now with upside to move up

Maybe you’re right but in my opinion Holloway has shown he can play top 6 minutes on draisaitls line. He’s faster, more defensively reliable than skinner and cheaper. I wouldn’t be surprised to see skinner not work out for us, but also could see him putting up a 30/30 season. Just think we could’ve used that 3 million along with Perry’s 1 million to sign broberg and Holloway, making a lateral move at most right now and helping our future

 

[McTonyBrar]

Unfortunate that it came to this, I want to see both players signed, however not signing Broberg will be a huge mistake talked about for years. He is just starting to come into his own, the way he played in the toughest games of the season was amazing. He very well could be our best defensemen by years end. $4 million will look like nothing.

Agreed. This was a terrible mistake by Edmonton. They have to sign him

The more I think of it, the more I believe you have to let Bro go. NHL GMs are obsessed with young RD though, so I can see them panicking and matching. 80% of Bro value is tied up in his cheapness... with that gone, I don't love the player nearly as much

We have more than enough depth on forward. Why would you let the potential top 4 dman go after you only have 3 top 4 dmen?

Letting him go is not smart