The St. Louis Blues made a bold move to enhance their roster by issuing offer sheets to Edmonton Oilers’ defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway, as announced on Tuesday.
This unusual tactic gives the Oilers a week to decide whether to match the Blues’ offers to the restricted free agents or accept draft picks from St. Louis as compensation.
The offer to Broberg is a two-year deal worth $9.16 million, while Holloway received a two-year offer totaling $4.58 million. If Edmonton declines to match, the Blues would owe corresponding draft picks as compensation.
To meet NHL requirements in issuing the offer sheet to Broberg, St. Louis also engaged in a trade with Pittsburgh to regain their second-round pick in next year’s draft. This move was accompanied by acquiring a 2026 fifth-round pick and trading away a 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick to the Penguins.
The Oilers have not yet responded to the Blues’ bold play.
The last team to issue an offer sheet was Carolina in 2021, successfully landing center Jesperi Kotkaniemi from Montreal after the Canadiens opted not to match.
Blues’ general manager Doug Armstrong is eager to accelerate the rebuilding process for a team that has missed the playoffs in the last two seasons, while the Oilers face a salary cap challenge following their loss in the Stanley Cup Final.
Stick around for more NHL updates at AP NHL
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.