Oilers prospect Philip Broberg speaks about his trade request

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Liam McCormick
February 13, 2024 (8:09 PM)

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After struggling to earn ice time and being a constant healthy scratch with the Oilers early this season, defenceman prospect Philip Broberg requested a trade. In response, the Oilers sent him to AHL Bakersfield to gain more opportunities for ice time, and since then, the relationship between him and the team has improved. Now for the first time, Broberg is speaking up about his trade request and his future in Edmonton.

Broberg has got what he needed in more opportunity to develop in Bakersfield, and is satisfied with that for now. He wants to make a push for the NHL with the Oilers, but understands it's not his time yet.

«I love Edmonton. I want to play in the NHL. Right now, I don't try to think about that. It's out of my control,» Broberg said. «I just want to focus on the day to day here in Bakersfield and try to get better and work on my game and hopefully get back up in Edmonton.»

According to Nugent-Bowman, the Oilers even had coach Paul Coffey speak to Broberg when he requested a trade and the team sent him to the AHL. Coffey relayed a message to Broberg saying his understood why he requested the trade, but wanted him to bet on himself and stay with the team.

Broberg spoke with Coffey after that. Coffey � who once demanded a trade from the Oilers in his playing days, albeit over money � understood where Broberg was coming from.
«I'm OK with you standing up for yourself,» Coffey told him. «You've got to bet on yourself.»

Now, Broberg is greatly succeeding with the Condors. He's a fixture on the powerplay and penalty kill, and dominating the competition in the AHL, scoring 1 goal and 19 points in 29 games. As their first round pick just five years ago, Ken Holland recently commented that the team isn't interested in moving Broberg any time soon.

If he's a big trade chip that could be in play, Ken Holland � the man who used his first draft pick on Broberg as Oilers GM nearly five years ago � thinks otherwise.
«No. I don't see it,» Holland said. «It's hard to find 6-foot-4 young defencemen.

Honestly, it's fantastic to see the Oilers mend the relationship with Broberg after it was clearly rocky when he requested a trade. Now, he seems more committed than ever to rounding out his game and becoming an effective player at the NHL level.

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