What Edmonton Oilers' recent trade may mean in Broberg-Holloway offer sheet drama?

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Aug 19, 2024 02:33 GMT

The Edmonton Oilers added Vasily Podkolzin to their team through a trade with the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers sent a 2025 fourth round selection to Vancouver in exchange for the gritty forward, the Edmonton Journal reported.

The move, under any circumstances, would not have generated much attention. However, in light of the St. Louis Blues’ aggressive targeting of Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway via offer sheets, this move by the Edmonton Oilers has created significant buzz.

Mainly, the addition of Podkolzin, a depth forward, raises questions about the Oilers’ decisions regarding Holloway. In particular, does adding Podkolzin mean that the Oilers are willing to part with the Canadian winger?

It certainly seems that way. Otherwise, there would have been no need for the Oilers to sacrifice a fourth round pick to add another depth forward.

With their hands tied, the Oilers had to make a move to address the potential losses of Holloway and Broberg; the trade signals that they have made a choice.

Overall, it makes sense for the Oilers to let Holloway go. As the Podkolzin trade shows, replacing Holloway was much easier than finding an alternative to Broberg. The Oilers don’t have internal options to replace Broberg on the blue line. Plus, making a trade for a depth defenseman would have been significantly expensive which makes keeping Broberg the right move.

Podkolzin looking to get a fresh start with the Edmonton Oilers

The Russian forward was a first round selection by the Vancouver Canucks in 2019. Drafted 10th overall, Podkolzin promised to become a significant force in the Canucks’ top six. However, his development has not yielded the expected results.

After transitioning from playing in the KHL to playing in North America, Podkolzin has had an underwhelming performance. In his first full season (2021-22), he produced 14 goals and 26 points in 79 games. Since then, he has split the next two seasons between the AHL and the NHL, producing nine points in 58 games.

With the trade, Podkolzin will be looking to get a fresh start in Edmonton. He’ll most likely take Holloway’s spot on the third line with Adam Henrique and Corey Perry. The veteran duo could do well to help jump-start Podkolzin’s game, especially now that Podkolzin no longer has to live up to the first round hype he faced in Vancouver.

At the end of the day, losing Holloway and acquiring Podkolzin could become a blessing in disguise for all sides involved. Time will tell if the Blues made the right gamble, and if the Oilers did well to call the Blues’ bluff.