Edmonton Oilers "may be forced" to trade $13M Cody Ceci or $11M Brett Kulak, opines Jim Matheson

By Anjum Rajonno

Modified Aug 14, 2024 15:36 GMT

Following their disappointing loss in the Stanley Cup final last season, the Edmonton Oilers have made big moves in the offseason to assemble a title-winning lineup. However, there seems to be looming challenges for the Oilers front office, as it now needs to make key decisions to retain some of the team's promising talents.

The St. Louis Blues have made offer sheets to young Oilers players Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. This puts the Oilers in a tough position because they may need to free up salary-cap space to keep these players, which could lead to a trade.

According to NHL analyst Jim Matheson, the Oilers might have to trade Cody Ceci or Brett Kulak to make room for Broberg and Holloway.

“These offer sheets by Blues to Broberg and Holloway are clearly a kick in the head to Oilers since Broberg could be a top 4 D partner of Nurse and Holloway a possible third-line LW this season,” Matheson tweeted on X.

Matheson opined that the situation will be particularly challenging for the Oilers because Broberg is seen as a potential top-four defenseman alongside Darnell Nurse, and Holloway could be a key player on the third line.

“The Oilers may be forced to trade Ceci and his $3.25m for one more year or Kulak (two years at $2.75m per) on cap if the decide they can’t lose a young D in Broberg to offer sheet. Usually teams value young D over young wingers if they have to decide on offer sheet match,” he wrote in another tweet.

The NHL analyst believes that the Oilers are likely to prioritize keeping Broberg as young defensemen are usually more valuable than young wingers, making a trade of Ceci or Kulak a possible outcome.

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Former Edmonton Oilers GM was unwilling to trade Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway

Earlier last season, ex-Oilers general manager Ken Holland had refused to trade both Broberg and Holloway for St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich. Insider Bob Stauffer reported on Oilers Now that Holland had ignored upper management's suggestions to extend Broberg and Holloway's contracts while they were still playing in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors. They could have been signed at a lower cost from the Condors.

“I can 100 per cent guarantee you that upper management, Ken Holland, the general manager at that time, as far back as December and January, were instructed — instructed at the top levels of the Edmonton Oilers organization — to get Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg signed to contract extensions, especially in the month of January when both players were in the minors,” Stauffer said. [H/T Edmonton Journal]

It now remains to be seen if new Oilers GM Stan Bowman will be ready to go head-to-head with St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong over the offer sheets for Broberg and Holloway.