Blues tender offer sheets to Oilers RFAs Broberg, Holloway
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The St. Louis Blues have tendered offer sheets to Edmonton Oilers restricted free agents Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.
The offer to Broberg is for a two-year contract at $4,580,917 per year, the maximum offer that would require a second-round draft pick as compensation. The offer to Holloway is for a two-year contract at $2,290,457 per year, the maximum offer that would require a third-round draft pick as compensation.
The Oilers have seven days to match the offers from the Blues.
"The Blues will have no further comment until the Oilers have made their decision as to whether to match the terms of either offer or accept the commensurate compensation," the Blues said in a release.
St. Louis completed a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier on Tuesday to re-acquire their own 2025 second-round pick, which was required to complete the offer sheet. The Blues acquired their own 2025 second-rounder and a 2026 fifth-rounder, sending a 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick (the Ottawa Senators' selection) to Pittsburgh.
Oilers facing cap crunch, Kane to LTIR?
The Oilers appear to facing a cap crunch as they weigh whether to match the Blues' terms. According to PuckPedia, Edmonton is currently $354,167 over the salary cap with a roster of 12 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders. The team has just over $3 million in dead money on their books for the upcoming season from the past buyouts of James Neal ($1.92 million) and Jack Campbell ($1.1 million).
TSN's Ryan Rishaug notes the move by the Blues Tuesday makes Evander Kane's health status even more important as to whether the team will receive long-term injured reserve relief. Kane, who was injured throughout the team's playoff run, is signed at a cap hit of $5.125 million through 2025-26. Kane missed the final five games of the Stanley Cup Final.
Rishaug adds that he believes surgery is the most likely course of action for Kane, who is not likely to be ready for training camp and could be out several months.
Broberg was involved in trade rumours earlier this year after being demoted to the AHL, but returned to the Oilers roster to contribute in the playoffs. The 23-year-old blueliner had two assists in 12 games with Edmonton during the regular season and posted two goals and an assist in 10 games during the postseason, playing in all seven games during the Stanley Cup Final. He carried a cap hit of $863,334 last season.
Holloway also split time between the Oilers and AHL's Bakersfield Condors this past season, posting six goals and nine points in 38 games with the NHL club.
The 22-year-old forward appeared in all 25 games during the postseason, posting five goals and two assists. Selected 14th overall by Edmonton in the 2020 draft, Holloway is coming off his entry-level contract.