In today’s NHL rumors rundown, an Oilers insider says the Edmonton Oilers’ former GM was instructed to get deals done for Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg a long time ago and on Tuesday, both were tendered offer sheets. There was also a trade offer on the table from the St. Louis Blues that Holland didn’t pull the trigger on. Finally, what does the offer sheets do to other teams who also have restricted free agents who could be at risk?
Did Holland Botch Deals With Broberg and Holloway In January?
Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now was discussing the offers sheets tendered to defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway on Tuesday’s show. He reported that a while back, upper management instructed then-GM Ken Holland to get deals done with both players.
Stauffer said:
“Sometimes you have to be ahead of the curve. I can 100 percent guarantee you that upper management, Ken Holland, the general manager at that time, as far back as December and January, were instructed — instructed at the top levels of the Edmonton Oilers organization — to get Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg signed to contract extensions, especially in the month of January when both players were in the minors.”
He mentioned that Holland was expected to address these contract extensions when the players were at their most vulnerable—either dealing with injuries or as high draft picks who hadn’t yet met expectations and had been demoted. The idea was to reinforce that they were still part of the organization’s future plans and to secure their signatures when they were most eager for a deal.
Related: Blues’ Brilliant Offer Sheet Gamble With Broberg, Holloway
Stauffer ended with, “And again from the top levels of the Oilers organization, the Oilers management team headed up by Ken Holland at that time was instructed, ‘You know, let’s get working, let’s get a deal done on both guys.’” It’s not clear if he was hinting this is why Ken Holland is gone, but he did mention that Holland is no longer the general manager of the Oilers.
Blues Gave the Oilers Other Options
Analysts are also discussing the theory that Doug Armstrong, who is very close to Holland, wouldn’t have done this to Holland, but was happy enough to do it when Holland was gone. The Blues carefully thought this through. They knew a double offer sheet would be a challenge for the Oilers, especially given the fact that a retaliatory strike is nearly impossible given the extensions that need to happen for Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard.
The Blues intentionally went two years on both players because anything longer would have been easier for the Oilers to match. Broberg, for example, becomes a more valuable player at his offer sheet salary the longer the deal goes on. If it was three or four years, Edmonton would likely assume he’ll easily outplay that contract in years three and four.
Edmonton Journal scribe Jim Matheson wrote:
“Let me join the chorus. I know Blues Doug Armstrong wants to win but one of his best friends and his golf buddy is Ken Holland. I just don’t believe he would have handcuffed Holland like this with two offer sheets on Broberg and Holloway if Holland was still Oiler GM.”
Stauffer also reported that the Blues might have been willing to trade Pavel Buchnevich for Broberg and Holloway in a deal with Armstrong last season.
Devils, Bruins, Hurricanes, and Red Wings Will Look at Their Own RFAs
Stauffer noted that he’s surprised Seth Jarvis hasn’t drawn more offer sheet attention in Carolina. Considering the season he had with the Hurricanes last year, another team could make life very tricky for new GM Eric Tulsky.
Andrew Fantucchio of Boston Hockey Now suggests that the offer sheets against the Oilers won’t necessarily lead to an offer sheet on Bruins’ restricted free-agent goalie Jeremy Swayman. Swayman is still likely to sign a multiyear deal with the Bruins (around $8.6 million). That’s how much cap space the Bruins still have. Based on Swayman’s projected salary, any team that makes an offer to Swayman will need to be able to supply the Bruins with two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and a third-round pick.
Some might wonder if Devils RFA forward Dawson Mercer is at risk. James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now notes that a two-year deal could be worth around $4 million annually.
Then of course, in Detroit, these offer sheets might accelerate the Red Wings’ efforts to sign defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Lucas Raymond.
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