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Elliotte Friedman weighs in on Edmonton Oilers needing to match only 1 offer sheet from Blues
Elliotte Friedman believes the Edmonton Oilers will only match one of the two offer sheets the St. Louis Blues extended to restricted free agents Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway on Tuesday.
Speaking on Oilers Now with host Bob Stauffer, Friedman said he expects the Oilers to match the offer sheet only for Holloway but not for Broberg.
"I think the Oilers will match on Holloway," Friedman said. "If you match Broberg, that really throws you out of whack (with the cap). ... There's much more risk with the Broberg offer sheet than there is with Holloway."
Broberg's two-year contract worth $9.16 million requires a second-round pick as compensation, while Hollaway's two-year deal at $4.58 million necessitates a third-round pick (as per NHL.com).
Friedman explained that Broberg requested a trade from the Oilers in December after being sent down to the AHL. While his play improved later in the season, Friedman believes Broberg's discontent with the organization persisted.
"It's becoming more and more clear to me now that Broberg had thought long and hard. ... I'm just not convinced he ever changed his mind (on the trade request)," Friedman said.
"The bottom line is this: they were far, far apart on Broberg. They knew they had a player that was unhappy."
As for Holloway, Friedman said that he took more convincing to sign the Blues' offer sheet despite it being around double what he was discussing with the Oilers.
Eventually, Friedman sees the Oilers matching the Holloway offer sheet due to the lower cap hit and compensation price. But Broberg's deal would put more stress on Edmonton's salary cap situation.
The Edmonton Oilers have until Aug. 20 to make their decision on whether to match the offer sheets and retain Broberg and Holloway.
Elliotte Friedman discusses possible outcomes if Edmonton Oilers match Broberg's offer sheet
Friedman believes if the Edmonton Oilers match the Broberg's offer sheet, they have a two-year window to figure out the best role for Broberg.
“If the Oilers match and they keep Broberg, they’ve got two years to sort that out. Like, he’s going to play, he’s going to play a lot, and eventually he’s going to play on his strong side, if he isn’t next year," Friedman said.
Matching the offer sheet also prevents Broberg from being traded for a year, so the Oilers and Broberg will need to mend their relationship during that time.
“If they match him they’ve got two years to figure it out and build a new relationship. … If they match it, they can’t trade him for a year. So it’s in Broberg’s best interest and their best interest to make it work. I do believe relationships can be changed.” he added.
Overall, Friedman feels the offer sheet, although disruptive in the short term, could eventually benefit both the Edmonton Oilers and Broberg.
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