Confirmed Signing with Link: [STL] F Dylan Holloway (2 years, $2.290457M AAV) and D Philip Broberg (2 years, $4.580917M AAV) sign offer sheets with the Blues (not matched)

[Cup or Bust]

For one year to win a cup I absolutely would, especially when the difference is 2m instead on 1 for a year or 4m instead of 2. At some point you have to realize this is bigger than money, and if money is all they want they can get lost.

I don't really blame them. They are not established players. Neither might ever be good enough to get these types of contracts based on their actual performance, they are getting them based on perceived potential. They are getting an opportunity to cash out on some millions and might never get a contract like that again. Both are probably getting more then double the amount they deserve so you can't really blame them for taking that.

 

[The Macho King]

you and I don't sit in those locker rooms. It is a business but the Oilers needed each of these guys to sign one year deals on the low and they both did the exact opposite.

To assume this won't have repercussions in that organization is.. IMO... unrealistic.

I doubt any member of the team begrudges them at all - these guys are making league minimum or close to it. Expecting them to pass up life-changing money isn't something these guys do.

As far as management/coaches/whatever? f*** em - they're not in the union.

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

HOLY SHIT HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[Zirakzigil]

They can do what they want, it doesn't change the fact they have harmed their teammates and I don't want them back.

For one year to win a cup I absolutely would, especially when the difference is 2m instead on 1 for a year or 4m instead of 2. At some point you have to realize this is bigger than money, and if money is all they want they can get lost.

You would turn down a million dollars? I highly doubt that.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Not only that but some of our contingent have been penciling Holloway in as some cheap replacement for a couple years now and it only really just happened.

People banking on prospects to just step in and replace NHL roster players are out to lunch imo. Especially Oiler fans. They should know better.

Exactly. The answer to the question of what to do if we let Holloway walk is a little easier than the Broberg solution too. Sign JVR. He's old as dirt, but he still put up 38 points in 71 games last year. Drop him into the bottom six as Holloway's replacement, and we have a year to fill the hole again.

Broberg, I think we would need to wait to replace, until the deadline. The good news though, is that we would have a 2nd and 3rd round pick as trade bait, ha ha.

 

[PocketNines]

They'll accept on Holloway and let Broberg go, which I think is the right call.

Broberg is just Edmonton's version of Holtz, top 10 pick, looks good in the minors, but mostly looks like hot garbage in the NHL. Maybe he puts it together and carves out a real NHL future, but I don't think Edmonton should be paying that much to find out with their current team makeup.

that's just it. Edmonton isn't at the place they can take the risk and STL is, so it creates reciprocality that allowed the room for this to happen

 

[North Cole]

I dont know if it really is that easy though looking at their current defense and defensive pipeline. Nurse and Ekholm at LHD and no other real high level lhd prospects... ekholm is still playing well but at age 34 they really need someone stepping up soon and Nurse is... nurse.

Its pretty easy. The guy is not worth near that currently. You don't sign this player to that contract because of fear of no other equivalent prospects. You just go back fill the roll for 1.5M on some random vet.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Broberg has got to be as good as gone

That’s so much money for a guy who wasn’t even a regular last season

 

[ManofSteel55]

You would turn down a million dollars? I highly doubt that.

I agree. And in Broberg's case, it isn't just a million. It's likely 2M guaranteed at most, vs 9.2M. So what some here are saying, is that to have a better chance to win this one year, they would be willing to leave 7.2M on the table. That's ludicrous to suggest of anyone who has the slightest notion of what money is.

 

[GOilers88]

I doubt any member of the team begrudges them at all - these guys are making league minimum or close to it. Expecting them to pass up life-changing money isn't something these guys do.

As far as management/coaches/whatever? f*** em - they're not in the union.

I don't disagree with your sentiment.

But let's not forget that league minimum money is life changing money for the vast majority of the population. These guys are already making big bank.

Again though, I do agree with you and I don't blame players at all.

 

[Drumman44]

Stan Bowman loves getting f***ed by offer sheets

 

[PuckG]

Yea the core is intact for now, but a team that already has a thin prospect/pick pool losing two recent 1st rd picks is a big blow. That defense was already atrocious with Broberg expected to take on a bigger role. Holloway hurts too, especially when he plays a playoff style and Skinner certainly doesn't

It sucks, but it isn’t as crippling as people are making it out to be. Acting like we’ve lost two core players is inaccurate.

That defence was so atrocious it took them to the finals of the Stanley Cup final. Your take is outdated. They outplayed every team except for the Cup Champs.

Skinner scores more than Holloway. It’ll be trade off for more scoring versus size. Skinner gets his first taste of the playoffs soon enough.

Playoff match ups matter far more than style. The LA Kings should stylistically match up well against the Oilers, but it hasn’t done much for them.

 

[lanky]

Waiver wire often has some good quality LWs and LD towards the start of the season. Oilers could find cheap replacements for free.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I certainly wouldn't have forecasted Broberg making 4.5 million this year in a bring them back scenario.

You probably could have done it for less, I doubt he was holding out for 4.5M. But if the Oilers were lowballing him, this is what happens.

 

[HockeyScotty]

might need to desperately seek a trade destination for Arvidsson and/or Henrique to make some cap space within the next 7

They can match and stay under the off-season upper limit (10% over the $88 mil; or $96.8) as they would be at $95,225,541 if they did. That means they have more than 7 days to shed cap space in a trade (until the season opens).

 

[Reality Czech]

They may keep Holloway at that AAV, but he'll have done some damage to himself within the organization for signing a deal at the very highest end of a meager 3rd round pick return.

That could bother both his teammates and I'm certain it irks the owner and GM. Right or wrong, it will be perceived as a hostile move by the player.

And Broberg might as well fly to St Louis today. Oilers can't and shouldn't match that.

But a 2nd round pick around 50th overall isn't much of a return for him given how he was likely to be deployed in a 4th-5th D role this season.

It may well irk ownership and the GM, but if they wanted the players then they probably should have offered them a fair contract before now if they wanted them on the team or traded them. As for teammates, NHL players generally seem to support their peers getting paid as much as possible. It's not really fair to expect these young players to sit around and wait for a contract offer for the good of the team. If loyalty was so important then they should have taken care of these guys before signing other players, or maybe the Oilers should have been smarter about how they use their cap space in general.

 

[Double Dion]

As a Flames fan this makes me happy. That said.

It's an overpay for Broberg right now. St Louis is banking on upside. That doesn't always work out well.

Love the Holloway one. That's a player I wanted out of Edmonton. He plays both ways and helps you win and is only getting better.

If I'm the Oilers Broberg is going and I'm matching Holloway.

 

[The Macho King]

I don't disagree with your sentiment.

But let's not forget that league minimum money is life changing money for the vast majority of the population. These guys are already making big bank.

Again though, I do agree with you and I don't blame players at all.

The salary would be one thing if it actually led to stability, but the salary is a trade off for (probably) not a ton of education and not a lot of typical job prospects. 850k for three years and then 60-100k for 7 years in the minors before they're out and working at a car dealership... that's not life changing, that's having most of their earning potential in their early 20s.

These guys prime earning potential is *now* - this is what is supposed to set the foundation for the next 40 years of their lives.

 

[On The Prowl]

I don't really blame them. They are not established players. Neither might ever even be good enough to get these types of contracts based on their actual performance, they are getting them based on perceived potential. They are getting an opportunity to cash out on some millions and might never get a contract like that again. Both are probably getting more then double the amount they deserve, can't blame them for taking that.

You would turn down a million dollars? I highly doubt that.

Personally winning a Stanley Cup would be worth every cent to me. Not everybody will agree with that and that's fine, but championships are immortal.

 

[Mighty Makar]

As a Flames fan this makes me happy. That said.

It's an overpay for Broberg right now. St Louis is banking on upside. That doesn't always work out well.

Love the Holloway one. That's a player I wanted out of Edmonton. He plays both ways and helps you win and is only getting better.

If I'm the Oilers Broberg is going and I'm matching Holloway.

Yep! I’d match Holloway and let Broberg walk.

 

[thefutures]

Losing both for 2nd and 3rd is a huge failure, will look good on Bownman

 

[GOilers88]

You probably could have done it for less, I doubt he was holding out for 4.5M. But if the Oilers were lowballing him, this is what happens.

I don't disagree. I'm not mad at any of this. I tip my cap to everyone involved and it's on the new brass to make it work.

I just wonder how it affects a locker room, if it does at all.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Holloway showed plenty of gamebreaking moments in the playoffs. He also has versatility to play wing or centre. You don't lose 1st round picks coming into their own to offer sheets. Horrible asset management.

This is what I saw as well, he was really starting to establish himself. 3rd on the team in ES goals with minimal ice time.

 

[On The Prowl]

I doubt any member of the team begrudges them at all - these guys are making league minimum or close to it. Expecting them to pass up life-changing money isn't something these guys do.

As far as management/coaches/whatever? f*** em - they're not in the union.

I bet they don't really care when both these guys are playing for the Blues next year.

 

[Rowlet]

Not buying any conspiracies, but offer sheeting two complementary players (granted, with upside) doesn’t cripple a contender though.

The core that carried the team to the finals remains intact (assuming Drai resigns).

they were going to be cheap depth, something the Oilers already needed more of.

conversely, even if they find a way to retain them it opens up Bouchard to another OS next season if they want to keep Draisaitl, and a mid team needing a puck mover would probably pay 2 1sts+ for a top 10 D