Elliotte Friedman comments on which offer sheet Oilers will match

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Liam McCormick
August 15, 2024 (5:41 PM)

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The Edmonton Oilers were put in an extremely vulnerable position when both Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg signed offer sheets with the St. Louis Blues.

The team is now $7.2M over the salary cap, and for the reason, will likely lose a player to this offer sheet. There's still time for the Oilers to make a move to change things, but according to Elliotte Friedman on the latest episode of OilersNow, the team is more likely to match the offer to Dylan Holloway.

Philip Broberg arguably has the higher ceiling as a player, but the contract of $4.58M will be extremely tough for the Oilers to accommodate. Holloway's at a more manageable price at just $2.29M, and the team would also get a second round draft pick back for Broberg.

It will be extremely tough for the Oilers to lose either one of these recent first round draft picks after they really broke through to the NHL roster in the playoffs. Philip Broberg showed great confidence and an ability to play a quality two-way game on the biggest stage after entering the lineup in the third round. Many NHL scouts and executives now think he could develop into a top pairing defenceman, and losing him for only a second round pick would be a tough blow for the Oilers.

Even if the Oilers lose one or both of their restricted free agents to these offer sheets, it shouldn't be the end of the world. The Oilers will still be a Stanley Cup contender without their younger players, although it may miss them a few years down the road. As long as the front office can make quality trades now to improve the team, particularly on defence, the Oilers will be just fine without these two unproven players signing elsewhere for more money.

Source: OilerAlert on X

Friedman speaks on Oilers offer sheets