Oilers GM Bowman: 'I don’t have any animosity or issues with Doug Armstrong'
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The dual offer sheets from the St. Louis Blues that targeted the Oilers last month are simply part of the business, Edmonton general manager Stan Bowman says.
Bowman told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in The Athletic there will be no lasting bad blood between the two teams after Doug Armstrong successfully acquired Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway with the offer sheets.
“No, I think things are fine,” Bowman said. “I’ve known Doug a long time. He’s a very bright guy, a good person. I think sometimes more is made out of that.
“He was trying to do what he could to make his team better. Once you get past the surprise of it, and you then roll your sleeves up and get to work on what you want to do, I don’t think there’s any value in holding grudges. I mean, what good is going to come out of that?
“So, no, for me personally, you have to work with everybody in the league even if you don’t like people, but that’s not the case with Doug anyway. He’s a good person and I don’t have any animosity or issues with Doug Armstrong.”
The Blues made headlines on Aug. 10 when they tendered offer sheets to the restricted free agents on two-year deals, with Broberg at $4.58 million per year and Holloway at $2.29 million per year.
In order to sign Broberg, the Blues first had to re-acquire their 2025 second-round pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins after moving it, along with Kevin Hayes, in June. St. Louis sent a 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick (the Ottawa Senators' selection) to the Penguins to get their pick and a 2026 fifth-rounder back.
After seven days, the Oilers declined to match and Broberg and Holloway went to St. Louis, with the Blues giving up the 2025 second rounder for Broberg and a 2025 third-round selection for Holloway. In exchange for agreeing not to match, the Oilers also acquired prospect defenceman Paul Fischer and a 2028 third-round pick from the Blues for future considerations.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said after landing both players that his strategy wasn't personal in signing the first offer sheets since 2021. Armstrong reiterated that sentiment to LeBrun this month, although he admits Bowman likely wishes he was not the target of such an act.
“Yeah, Stan and I have a good relationship,” Armstrong said. “We bumped into each other when he was in Chicago. Our teams played a lot. We’re friends, and it’s just part of the business that you understand going in. Stan and I talked about it. He understood I was trying to do what was best for the Blues, and he made the best decisions for the Oilers.
“That’s our jobs. Obviously, Stan probably wishes it didn’t happen.”
Keeping future cap space was key for the Oilers this summer as the team eventually landed on an eight-year, $112 million contract extension with Leon Draisaitl, which will carry an NHL-record $14 million average annual value when it kicks in next summer.
The Oilers will face another key negotiation in 2025, when Connor McDavid becomes eligible to sign a contract extension as well.