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)

[YP44]

Their window has passed. There is no way Draisatl extends in Edmonton. He'd be an absolute fool. Edmonton media claiming that he will extend prior to the season does not make any sense.

McDrai's ONE shot at the Cup was lost and there will not be another one.

I think it is too early to say this. McDavid is going to win a cup in his career.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I think it is too early to say this. McDavid is going to win a cup in his career.

McDavid, not McDrai.

 

[jackjohnson]

Sorry, but if 3 of those guys see significant playoff ice time, it's bad news for Vancouver. They have a lot of #7's cycling into the #6 spot, just like Edmonton.

The need is a top 4D bud, not another bottom pair. With another top 4D, Canucks D will look like this:

Hughes-Hronek
Soucy-top 4D
Deharnais/Forbort-Myers

I think that is fine with Forbort and Deharnais rotating and Juulsen for extra 7th dman. 3rd pairing wouldnt see more than 10 to 15 munutes of ice time which would be fine for Deharnais or Forbort.

 

[Soundwave]

Vinny actually earned his deal and was a big part of the oilers defence turning things around. The other guys still have a lot to prove.

Knoblaugh/Coffey coming in and Ekholm being hurt at the start of the year are the two things that turned the D around. Desharnais was pressboxed as the playoffs went along because he was getting exposed by Dallas.

 

[TageGod]

You won't miss Halloway when Savoie puts up 60 points.

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

Their window has passed. There is no way Draisatl extends in Edmonton. He'd be an absolute fool. Edmonton media claiming that he will extend prior to the season does not make any sense.

McDrai's ONE shot at the Cup was lost and there will not be another one.

except for dallas and florida, every team in the league sucks, so never say never, they could have another miracle run this season

 

[ChicagoBlues]

except for dallas and florida, every team in the league sucks, so never say never, they could have another miracle run this season

Dallas is (or rather, WAS) a paper tiger. Super overrated. They lost depth, their D is f***ed and they are relying on Stank and Mav.

You hang out with us over at HFBlues, so you know that almost everyone there had Dallas winning the Cup. Not me.

Why isn't Harley extended already?

Anyway, I also thought the Oilers were in good position to make another deep run at the Cup this coming season until these two offer sheets. I don't think they match either.

 

[Reality Czech]

Couldn't be more irrelevant to the post I replied to.

Did that post say Holloway & Broberg specifically?

You can't even answer the question? There's a big difference between a guy like Skinner taking less money than a young guy who hasn't earned tens of millions in his career already.

 

[westc2]

If the Blues can get these 2....with their other great depth additions...I think they're easily back in the playoffs.

 

[Mrfenn92]

I mean, you're absolutely wrong on this.

I believe there were 3 NHL players that took a pay cut this off-season alone to play in Edmonton, definitely 2.

Guys who made their money already

 

[FiveTacos]

I get that these two aren't in the same situation as the vets, who are all coming off fat contracts and are already set up for life. But on that point, neither player has proven anything at the NHL level. (As in, these two are by far the least proven offer sheet signees since the cap was introduced.)
Cheaper short-term deals similar to Barron's (as @Roof Daddy pointed out) to see where they stood in their development wouldn't have been out of the ordinary.

Sure a bridge deal is fine and all, but these aren't guys who are so good at a young age that they can be assured of the next contract. A young player who's sort of almost worth a 7 or 8 year commitment, but maybe thinks he can get more if he does a bridge deal instead ... that's one thing. But guys who are still essentially not guaranteed NHL spots need to take the money when they can get it. Plenty of 1st rounders are out of the league by their mid 20's. It is not inconceivable that neither guy will ever see this kind of money ever again.

Or you’re buried in the AHL never to play another game in the show.

If player A getting overpaid results in player B getting buried in the AHL, odds are player B was overpaid for what he was producing as well. Whether they choose to match and get rid of the other guy, or choose not to match, one or the other is getting replaced by a cheaper guy from somewhere, and which direction they go tells you who they think is more overpaid.

Besides which, if a guy deserves to be in the NHL at his salary, there's likely to be at least one team willing to take him in a trade. If he's sent down he probably wasn't good enough anyway, or he was severely overpaid.

And for every guy who's sent down, there's another guy who would have been in the AHL who ends up getting his shot.

Chasing a Cup is fine and dandy for these kind of players, but let me ask those of you who think they should have just signed for whatever they could get from Edmonton ... if they did so, but later someone asks for him in a good trade for you because he's still cheap, you think the Oil would pass it up because, "he signed for less than he could have, so we have to show loyalty in return"? Not a chance. Then it's entirely possible he ends up playing for a team like the Blues (or even a less desired location) for a lot less money.

 

[CaptainScrewy]

I think it is too early to say this. McDavid is going to win a cup in his career.

Not with Edmonton.

 

[bucks_oil]

Maybe jerked around was too harsh for Holloway. I more meant that a young kid could want and think he is ready for a bigger role. Edmonton is pretty set for top 6 Cs. Blues are an easier path. We are talking about having career winger Buchnevich who it terrible on the dot as our 2C this year.

Fair enough... I think it all depends on one defines "opportunity" and 20-something kids aren't known for patience.

Anyway, both these kids have been knocking at the door... it's a delicate balance with how/when to break in the kids and the cap makes it even harder. In both Broberg and Holloway's cases, they spent a few more months at various times in the AHL than they should have because we couldn't fit in anyone above league min. And we had [knocks on wood] zero injuries other than Kane over the last two seasons, so it was tough to find the ice.

This is like a checkmate move for the Blues. If Oilers let go of both, they lose 2 good young players that were low cap hits and lose depth trying to gain very little cap space. If they sign Holloway, and let Broberg go, Holloway cap hit will eat into whatever cap space that was gained from not signing Broberg. If they let Holloway go and sign Broberg, then they would be over the cap limit and need to trade guys while lacking a top 4D. The best option is to let both go and sign a top 4D in season even if it means they lost 2 young guys for only a 2nd and 3rd round pick. This hurts the Oilers big time, especially since they need cheap and young players on their roster. It hurts their depth

I think the only get out of jail move for the Oilers is the following:

1) Match both, putting them ~$7.2M over the cap
2) Send down J Brown, saving $1M, now 6.2M over the cap with 22-man roster
3) LTIR or trade Kane, they are now $1.125M over the cap, which is EXACTLY the max amount they can bury in the minors, but that means a 21-man roster... not really doable, so
4) Trade one of Kulak or Ceci, since they have already committed to Broberg anyway.

Now, they'd be fully cap compliant whether Kane is traded or LTIR'd. If he's traded, they will be about $2M under the cap, which accrues to $9M in spend at the deadline... this is ideal.

If they can't trade him, they will be essentially at the cap, since they don't accrue cap space... they will have no space to add a player at the deadline, but Kane becomes their "deadline add" when he returns for game 1 of the playoffs.

 

[YP44]

Fair enough... I think it all depends on one defines "opportunity" and 20-something kids aren't known for patience.

Anyway, both these kids have been knocking at the door... it's a delicate balance with how/when to break in the kids and the cap makes it even harder. In both Broberg and Holloway's cases, they spent a few more months at various times in the AHL than they should have because we couldn't fit in anyone above league min. And we had [knocks on wood] zero injuries other than Kane over the last two seasons, so it was tough to find the ice.


I think the only get out of jail move for the Oilers is the following:

1) Match both, putting them ~$7.2M over the cap
2) Send down J Brown, saving $1M, now 6.2M over the cap with 22-man roster
3) LTIR or trade Kane, they are now $1.125M over the cap, which is EXACTLY the max amount they can bury in the minors, but that means a 21-man roster... not really doable, so
4) Trade one of Kulak or Ceci, since they have already committed to Broberg anyway.

Now, they'd be fully cap compliant whether Kane is traded or LTIR'd. If he's traded, they will be about $2M under the cap, which accrues to $9M in spend at the deadline... this is ideal.

If they can't trade him, they will be essentially at the cap, since they don't accrue cap space... they will have no space to add a player at the deadline, but Kane becomes their "deadline add" when he returns for game 1 of the playoffs.

Not with Edmonton.

Not with Edmonton.

not sure i am ready to say that

 

[57special]

If the Blues can get these 2....with their other great depth additions...I think they're easily back in the playoffs.

So, you think adding one injury plagued forward who has 18 career pts. in 89 gp, and another D who has 13 in 81 gp, will propel them ahead of one of CO, DAL, WPG, and NSH ? Maybe, but it sure as hell won't be easy. If MN avoids the injuries that they had last year(Spurgeon, Brodin, Foligno) and gets something out of Khusnutdinov and Ohgren, then they will be right there, also.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Fair enough... I think it all depends on one defines "opportunity" and 20-something kids aren't known for patience.

Anyway, both these kids have been knocking at the door... it's a delicate balance with how/when to break in the kids and the cap makes it even harder. In both Broberg and Holloway's cases, they spent a few more months at various times in the AHL than they should have because we couldn't fit in anyone above league min. And we had [knocks on wood] zero injuries other than Kane over the last two seasons, so it was tough to find the ice.


I think the only get out of jail move for the Oilers is the following:

1) Match both, putting them ~$7.2M over the cap
2) Send down J Brown, saving $1M, now 6.2M over the cap with 22-man roster
3) LTIR or trade Kane, they are now $1.125M over the cap, which is EXACTLY the max amount they can bury in the minors, but that means a 21-man roster... not really doable, so
4) Trade one of Kulak or Ceci, since they have already committed to Broberg anyway.

Now, they'd be fully cap compliant whether Kane is traded or LTIR'd. If he's traded, they will be about $2M under the cap, which accrues to $9M in spend at the deadline... this is ideal.

If they can't trade him, they will be essentially at the cap, since they don't accrue cap space... they will have no space to add a player at the deadline, but Kane becomes their "deadline add" when he returns for game 1 of the playoffs.

Assuming Kane is on LTIR until the playoffs seems unlikely given his injury. I think in that scenario they need to trade him. And attach assets to do so.

 

[HockeyScotty]

I can't be the only person that watched the Oilers playoff run and said to himself... you know which guys on Edmonton are playing pretty well and better than I expected.

Ceci and Kulak.

A lot of Edmonton's depth guys played quite well in the playoffs (Janmark, Foegele, McLeod, Holloway, Broberg, Brown), but Ceci and Kulak were a part of that list too.

A pretty key part of that really impressive PK and generally good team defense. Just dumping them off the roster to be replaced by nobodies like Joshua Brown and Troy Steecher seems like it will have negative consequences.

I found the OIiers playoff run very interesting. A lot of their maligned depth guys really exceeded my expectations of them, but other Oilers like RNH, Nurse (Kane-hurt) and even Ekholm to a less degree played below what I thought they were as players. I've see Drai play better than he did in the 2024 playoffs as well.

This is what I saw also. When Nurse-Broberg were paired together and Kulak-Ceci they were able to deploy them to each of their strengths. of course it was a small sample size and no indication if it would work over a full season (after other team's scouting might have found issues); but it certainly looked more encouraging.

If they lose Broberg, finding a partner for Nurse will be the key; I don't think Stecher is that guy. It needs to be someone that can play right side since Nurse can't do that. There are a good amount of veteran players to pick from: Tyson Barrie, Justin Schultz, Mark Giordano (L but can play his off-hand), and Kevin Shattenkirk that might be the right style of fit as offensive guys that can be a pairing with Nurse and on PP2 with him while not being a negative defensively.

Barrie seems like the best candidate as he has familiarity with the players and locker-room; but it was a different coaching group at the time.

 

[Roof Daddy]

We have been looking for a perm partner for parayko for a long time. Jaybo was perfect leddy is ok krugbwas aweful.

Hmmm, I never thought of it before, but Broberg does have the same skillset/plays the same style as JBo. Maybe that works out really well for you guys.

 

[Nemesis Prime]

I think you have to let Broberg walk at that point. You're screwed either way but you need to re-sign Drai and Bouch in the future.

 

[NeverForget06]

Their window has passed. There is no way Draisatl extends in Edmonton. He'd be an absolute fool. Edmonton media claiming that he will extend prior to the season does not make any sense.

McDrai's ONE shot at the Cup was lost and there will not be another one.

Why?

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

So are these guys Blues players now or what?

 

[nerevarine]

The oilers are by far the best team in the league, teams of that calibre do not pay unproven players huge contracts.

Let them both rot in St louis and watch the oilers lift the cup next year, i cant think of a worse fate.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

idk if this has been posted but lmao

https://x.com/i/web/status/1823771177384317106

Brutal

 

[nerevarine]

The oilers are by far the best team in the league, teams of that calibre do not pay unproven players huge contracts.

Let them both rot in St louis and watch edmonton lift the cup next year, i cant think of a worse fate.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

idk if this has been posted but lmao

https://x.com/i/web/status/1823771177384317106

Makes you wonder if they wouldve been able to find the time to get these guys signed had they not hired a GM who needed to spend half his summer repairing his image for aiding and abetting a chomo