St. Louis Blues "targeted" Edmonton Oilers by tendering offer sheets to Broberg and Holloway, opines analyst Bryan Hayes

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Aug 14, 2024 06:11 GMT

The St. Louis Blues have made an unusual move by tendering offer sheets to two Edmonton Oilers players, Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. This rare action in the NHL has sparked discussion among hockey analysts, including TSN's Bryan Hayes and Frankie Corrado.

Hayes said:

"Yeah, I think 'targeted' is an appropriate word here because nobody else seems to do this around the NHL. There are some cases we've seen over the years, but very rarely do you see it, let alone a double attack on the same day, targeting two different players."

"And I think the Blues are basically forcing Edmonton to pick one or the other. I would guess they'll keep Holloway and probably let Broberg walk. I don't think they love him at that price. I don't think he's a top-four defenseman; he barely was in the NHL at times last year." Hayes added.

The Blues offered Broberg a two-year contract with an annual cap hit of $4,580,917. If the Oilers don't match, they would receive a second-round draft pick. For Holloway, the Blues offered a two-year deal with a cap hit of $2,290,457, with the Oilers getting a third-round pick if they don't match.

"So, I think St. Louis understands this is a calculated move that is going to force the hand of Edmonton." Hayes said. "It's also a compliment to the Oilers because they are the target in the West. They're the best team in the West. St. Louis knows they're chasing them; other teams in the West know they're chasing them."

"The Oilers are up against it; they've got seven days to figure this out." Hayes said.

However, they are currently over the salary cap by $354,167, which makes it tough to keep both players. They can exceed the cap by 10% during the off-season, but it's still a challenge.

Bryan Hayes' take on offer sheets in NHL and Edmonton Oilers' situation

Offer sheets are rare in the NHL, especially in the salary cap era. Only two offer sheets have been successful without being matched since the cap was introduced.

To make these offers, the Blues traded with the Pittsburgh Penguins to get back their second-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft.

Broberg, a former eighth overall pick in the 2019 draft, has played 81 games for the Edmonton Oilers, with two goals and 13 points. Holloway, drafted 14th overall in 2020, has played 89 games, scoring nine goals and helping the Oilers reach the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

"It's within the rules," Hayes said. "I think GMs should... play by the rules, but go get the best players... I don't know why GMs haven't been doing this ever since the salary cap was implemented years ago. It should change in the future; maybe this is a watershed moment."

The Oilers must now decide how to respond to the Blues' bold move, which could impact their future.