Oilers Biggest Rivals Reportedly Offer Sheeted Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway

NHL insider Jeff Marek revealed that at least three teams were preparing to make an offer sheet to both Broberg and Holloway, and one of them was the Flames.

Broberg and Holloway signed offer sheets with the Blues for $4.58M and $2.29M respectively, salaries that would've put the Oilers in an impossible situation this year and next year. The Oilers took the easy route to not match the offer sheets, and take a second and third round draft pick in compensation.

Losing out on Philip Broberg in particular may have been a mistake that could haunt the Edmonton Oilers for years to come. In his first 13 games with the Blues, Broberg has 9 points and is playing top pair minutes. As a 6'4 right shot two-way defenceman, he's a premium position and a talented young player.

Holloway is having a good start with the Blues as well, already with a career high of 7 goals and 13 points in 25 games.

However, management had torched this situation before it got to the Offer Sheets. Broberg, and potentially Holloway too, were ready to move on from Edmonton to get consistent NHL ice time.

It's interesting to wonder how things would've been different if it was the Flames that did finalize an offer sheet with the Oilers RFAs.

Flames ownership is reportedly blocking trades to Edmonton, so it's believable that the Oilers may have even tried to match the offer sheets if Calgary was behind them.

Without Broberg and Holloway, the Oilers are an older and slower team - but they still will be a Stanley Cup Contender. It was never depth players like Broberg and Holloway that made the Oilers a great team, it's their veteran star players. However, in a few years, Edmonton may be dearly missing these players.