"Kind of poison pills": Elliotte Friedman weighs in on Edmonton Oilers-St. Louis Blues offer sheet drama

Modified Aug 15, 2024 14:01 GMT

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Phillip Broberg and young forward Dylan Holloway have both received offer sheets from the St. Louis Blues. NHL analyst Elliotte Friedman believes the Blues needed to extend offer sheets to both players to be able to sign them, as targeting just one wouldn't have been enough to force a move away from Edmonton for either of them.

Broberg was reportedly seeking a salary of about $1.8 million from the Oilers, but the Blues’ offer sheet amounts to a massive $4.6 million AAV for two years. Friedman pointed out the huge raise in pay offered to the young D-man.

“I had heard that Broberg was asking from Edmonton a salary in the $1.8 million range. That's kind of where he wanted to go. So, if that's true... the Blues just gave him 250% more than he was asking for,” Elliotte Freidman said. [H/T NHL Trade Rumors]

The same has been the case of Dylan Holloway, who has been offered a $2.29 million, two-year deal by the Blues.

“Assuming it was a one year deal (the Oilers were discussing with Holloway), it was expected to be in the $1.2 million area, so he got almost 100% more than he was expecting. So these are massive raises, kind of poison pills, if you wish, that the Blues have given the Oilers,” Friedman said.

Holloway was in talks for a one-year deal worth around $1.2 million with Edmonton, but the Blues' offer nearly doubled that amount. The NHL analyst sees these raises as "poison pills," which will make it challenging for the Oilers to match the offers within seven days and retain their players.

St. Louis Blues’ offer sheets can force Edmonton Oilers to trade key players

The Blues’ offer sheets have created a serious situation for the Oilers’ front office. This could force Edmonton to clear salary-cap space to retain its young talents, and in the process, potentially lead to trades.

On Tuesday, NHL analyst Jim Matheson reported that the Oilers might need to trade Cody Ceci or Brett Kulak to free up room.

““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,” Matheson wrote on X.

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The analyst believes that the whole situation has now become a "kick in the head" for the Edmonton club, as Broberg is seen as a potential top-four defenseman, and Holloway as a key third-line player. It remains to be seen how the Oilers front office tackles the impending loss of their young players to the St. Louis franchise.