Phillip Broberg

[Mike Liut]

Holloway is damn good too

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

He looks good and is carrying Faulk. Broberg is a top 4 D on 95% of the NHL teams. He's a #3 D on the Oilers.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Yeah not gonna lie this is looking like it has the potential to become an absolute DISASTER for the Oilers. Not sure how they managed to let him slip away, especially given the lack of depth they have on D. If either one of Ek/Bouch get injured for a solid chunk of games they might be f***ed.

The Oilers Blueline is currently consisted of a #2 dman, a #3, a #4 and three #7-8 dmen. They'll be fine.

 

[The Panther]

Losing both guys for nothing was amateur hour no matter how anyone wants to spin it. It was a terrific move by the Blues who added to the prospect pool and gave up nothing.

I agree that the Oilers should have been more pro-active in attempting to sign both Holloway and Broberg. It's not "amateur hour", though -- the franchise was GM-less for most of the off-season, and interim Jeff Jackson made some very impressive signings that are helping the club this season. By the time Bowman Jr. was hired, he presumably had his plate full with other immediate things, and -- voila! -- St. Louis sweeps in with two offer-sheets. This happens, like, once every 10 years, so it's hardly something that was expected or predictable.

Why didn't the Oilers sign those two players earlier? Ken Holland, as everyone knows, likes his gray-beards, and the Oilers are still in-process of creating a veteran team for a Cup-run. Their window is 2025. The club's current prospect isn't worrying about three years from now; it's worryng about THIS season and playoffs.

Over a year ago, a frustrated Broberg basically told the Oilers he wanted to leave. My guess is that that pissed-off Holland, who enjoys doing long-term deals with the Yzermans, Lidstroms, and McDavids of the world, and who probably doesn't have a lot of patience for young players who've barely cracked the line-up making demands on him. So, he let Broberg wait in the weeds a bit.

As an Oilers fan, I would have preferred to keep both players, but you can't really predict an offer-sheet (to two guys, no less) to suddenly come out of nowhere, esp. when it happens 5 minutes after a new GM takes over. The timing was unfortunate.

On the other hand, would I rather have Holloway and Broberg on the 2024-25 roster or J. Skinner, Arvidsson, and Henrique? If we take the position (which the Oilers' org. seemingly has) that the whole focus is on winning the Cup now, then the latter group seems more helpful.

Also, you're quite wrong that the Blues "gave up nothing". If this site -- https://puckpedia.com/team/st-louis-blues -- is correct, he Blues are currently losing $6.87 million in cap-space to Holloway and Broberg, and, like most clubs, they have next-to-no cap space to work with.

Like everything in the cap-world of high-priced pro-sports, the Oilers and Blues are each taking calculated risks here, based on each club's relative priority. The Oilers' priority is "win now" and the Blues is (I guess) "compete now, win later".

The $6.87 million the Blues lose in cap-space to Holloway and Broberg could have, theoretically, paid for another (younger) Brayden Schenn, or a couple of experienced players like (the Oilers' signings of) Jeff Skinner and Adam Henrique.

Obviously, if Holloway improves a bit and Broberg continues his nice start, it will work out nicely for St. Louis. On the other hand, if Holloway and Broberg don't progress much beyond where they were/are in 2023-24 (which is quite possible, as each is 23), it will be an overpayment by the Blues. (Broberg has 3 career goals, and Holloway is pacing at 8 goals per 82 games.)

There's no "amateur hour". Clubs have different priorities.

 

[TK 421]

He just needed to wear team Sweden colors and now he's doing better, duh.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

I agree that the Oilers should have been more pro-active in attempting to sign both Holloway and Broberg. It's not "amateur hour", though -- the franchise was GM-less for most of the off-season, and interim Jeff Jackson made some very impressive signings that are helping the club this season. By the time Bowman Jr. was hired, he presumably had his plate full with other immediate things, and -- voila! -- St. Louis sweeps in with two offer-sheets. This happens, like, once every 10 years, so it's hardly something that was expected or predictable.

Why didn't the Oilers sign those two players earlier? Ken Holland, as everyone knows, likes his gray-beards, and the Oilers are still in-process of creating a veteran team for a Cup-run. Their window is 2025. The club's current prospect isn't worrying about three years from now; it's worryng about THIS season and playoffs.

Over a year ago, a frustrated Broberg basically told the Oilers he wanted to leave. My guess is that that pissed-off Holland, who enjoys doing long-term deals with the Yzermans, Lidstroms, and McDavids of the world, and who probably doesn't have a lot of patience for young players who've barely cracked the line-up making demands on him. So, he let Broberg wait in the weeds a bit.

As an Oilers fan, I would have preferred to keep both players, but you can't really predict an offer-sheet (to two guys, no less) to suddenly come out of nowhere, esp. when it happens 5 minutes after a new GM takes over. The timing was unfortunate.

On the other hand, would I rather have Holloway and Broberg on the 2024-25 roster or J. Skinner, Arvidsson, and Henrique? If we take the position (which the Oilers' org. seemingly has) that the whole focus is on winning the Cup now, then the latter group seems more helpful.

Also, you're quite wrong that the Blues "gave up nothing". If this site -- https://puckpedia.com/team/st-louis-blues -- is correct, he Blues are currently losing $6.87 million in cap-space to Holloway and Broberg, and, like most clubs, they have next-to-no cap space to work with.

Like everything in the cap-world of high-priced pro-sports, the Oilers and Blues are each taking calculated risks here, based on each club's relative priority. The Oilers' priority is "win now" and the Blues is (I guess) "compete now, win later".

The $6.87 million the Blues lose in cap-space to Holloway and Broberg could have, theoretically, paid for another (younger) Brayden Schenn, or a couple of experienced players like (the Oilers' signings of) Jeff Skinner and Adam Henrique.

Obviously, if Holloway improves a bit and Broberg continues his nice start, it will work out nicely for St. Louis. On the other hand, if Holloway and Broberg don't progress much beyond where they were/are in 2023-24 (which is quite possible, as each is 23), it will be an overpayment by the Blues. (Broberg has 3 career goals, and Holloway is pacing at 8 goals per 82 games.)

There's no "amateur hour". Clubs have different priorities.

Blues could still add easily if a deal pops up. Torey Krug is LTIRed and they have more than 5 mil in cap space currently. These deals are not crippling the Blues ability to go out and get players.

 

[McJedi]

This move will cost the Oilers and McDrai a chance at the cup.

How in the f*** do you ship out Codi Ceci to signify a match, make room to fit Broberg, and then still don't match?? Especially when your D corps is already trash as it is.

Inexplicable mismanagement.

What do you mean? They traded for Emberson. He’s a middle pair stalwart. He was in San Jose for two periods anyway.

 

[ChillWill1]

I love sub 10 game hyperbole threads.

Holy cope. I love how Oilers fans are already moving the goalposts it’s gonna be funny when St.Louis had more points than Edmonton. They look like a sleeper team in the West. And they have the best goalie tandem in the league with Binnington/Hofer

 

[Freaky Styley]

They are under the cap and accruing space even with Kane healthy. They will be able to add the equivalent of a 4.5M dollar player at the TDL. Or a 9M player retained at 50% with no money out.

Look what adding Ekholm did. Add a legitimate top 4 RD at the deadline and let's go. I'll take the big horses in the playoffs

It is fair to ask if Broberg is higher upside than anyone they may add, but rationale is you find a better, more experienced player for the playoff run. The whole plan is contingent on finding the right upgrade. Right now the jury is still out.

This is all well and good to postulate about, but a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.

Top 4 D (esp. RHD) become a bidding war at the deadline. Who is available? And more than anything, do the Oilers have the assets to outbid other teams?

The most realistic fit is probably David Savard. Maybe he has a better playoff than Broberg would, but that is far from a sure thing.

 

[BleedBlue14]

He looks good and is carrying Faulk. Broberg is a top 4 D on 95% of the NHL teams. He's a #3 D on the Oilers.

He’s not carrying Faulk. Faulk is actually healthy this year, unlike last year. He’s complimenting Faulk much better than Krug did - I know shocker.

Broberg has been really good. Faulk has also been really good.

A lot of it is a testament to how the Blues use their defensive pairings though as well. Parayko and Leddy pretty much always are out against top end competition. The issue the last couple of years is one of Faulk or Krug weren’t healthy and, frankly the other one isn’t a defensive stud by any means.

I think it’s pretty feasible to hope that the acquisition of Broberg is similar to the acquisition of Devon Toews for the Avs.

 

[HolyGhost]

I know it’s early but 5 points in 5 games for Broberg and he’s clearly been the Blues best defenseman this year. Holy Doug masterclass. For a 2nd rounder it’s looking like a highway robbery from the Oilers. This was a dime to Neighbours.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1847103684334821817

Oilers were cap hell and Broberg wanted out of Edmonton since last November. Blues made out like bandits. Oilers clearly were misusing him

 

[ManByng]

Broberg wanted out for awhile. The bigger mistake was letting it get to the point of an offersheet in the first place.

The Oilers should have either given him a chance over Kulak or traded him at the deadline/draft.

Oiler fans are used to seeing some of their players flourish elsewhere after they leave and Oiler fans were mentally prepared for this because of the fact that he had apparently previously asked for a trade. I just wish they had actually traded him previously and the Oilers had gotten something for him that they could use right now....like Artum Zub.

 

[Bank Shot]

Broberg has had a nice start to the season. Seems like one of his assists in OT was real nice. His goal was one that the goalie would want back. His other assists mostly of the secondary variety.

Seems like an early season overreaction that is the usual on HFboards.

Lets revisit this convo in 3 months.

 

[Duder54]

Broberg looked solid in the SCF last year in the games he played. I was excited to see him finally get his shot this year with the Oilers. Alas.

I certainly won’t fault the player for getting their money.