The St. Louis Blues looked to salary-strapped Edmonton to boost its roster, issuing offers to Oilers defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway, the team announced Tuesday.
The rarely used move gives the Oilers seven days to match the Blues’ contract offers to restricted free agents or opt to receive draft picks from St. Louis as compensation.
The Blues’ offer to Broberg was for two years and $9.16 million, which would equate to a second-round draft pick as compensation if the Oilers decline to match the offer. Holloway received a two-year, $4.58 million offer, which equates to a third-round draft pick as compensation.
To satisfy the NHL’s requirements in issuing the offer to Broberg, the Blues also announced a trade with Pittsburgh to reacquire their second-round pick in next year’s draft. St. Louis also added a 2026 fifth-round draft pick while sending the Penguins a 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick.
The Oilers had no immediate comment on the Blues’ decision.
The last team to issue an offer was Carolina in 2021 when the Hurricanes signed centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi from Montreal after the Canadiens did not match the offer.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is looking to accelerate his rebuilding plan for a team that has missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. Meanwhile, the Oilers are projected to be more than $354,000 over the salary cap after losing the Stanley Cup Final in seven games to Florida.
Matching the offers would add about $6.88 million to the Oilers’ total. Teams have until the start of the season to get under the salary cap.
Stan Bowman was hired in July as the Oilers’ general manager to replace Ken Holland, whose contract was not renewed.
The 23-year-old Broberg, the eighth overall pick in the 2019 draft, had two assists in 12 regular-season games last year and added two goals and an assist in a career-high 10 playoff games. He has two goals and 11 assists in 81 career regular-season games.
Holloway, 22, the 14th overall pick in the 2020 draft, had six goals and three assists in 38 games last season, and added five goals and two assists in 25 playoff games. Overall, he has nine goals and nine assists in 89 regular-season games.
