The Edmonton Oilers are not a good team to start out the 2023-24 season. They’re being outworked, outhit, and flat-out beaten in every category this season. While the team has been relying on the star power of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman, opponents have learned how to shut them down, and the depth has failed to step up offensively. Defensively, this Oilers team has been awful from top to bottom.
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The Oilers had to make some moves because of an injury to forward Connor Brown that resulted in defenceman Philip Broberg being sent to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) in a move that was long overdue. He hasn’t improved whatsoever, and it was actually quite surprising when he made the opening night roster over Ben Gleason.
In lieu of injuries that the Oilers are unfortunately dealing with early in the season, Broberg will likely spend an extended amount of time in the AHL with the Condors. This will be a good experience for him and a much-needed one following a below-average start at both ends of the ice. He has faced criticism his entire NHL career because of who was selected after him in the draft (Trevor Zegras, Vasily Podkolzin, Cole Caufield) and not living up to the hype compared to any of them. A stint in the minors is exactly what Broberg needs to come back strong and make an impact when he returns to the NHL.
Broberg’s Career So Far
The Oilers selected Broberg in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft at eighth overall after a dominating defensive season in the HockeyAllSvenskan league with AIK where he scored two goals and added seven assists for nine points through 41 games. He played on loan for the next two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) where he continued to dominate defensively with Skellefteå AIK.
Broberg got his first taste of NHL action during the 2021-22 campaign where he split the season between the Oilers and the Condors. With the Oilers that season, he scored one goal and added two assists for three points through 23 games. With the Condors, he scored four goals and added 19 assists for 23 points through 31 games. The following season, Broberg spent the majority of his time with the Oilers, scoring one goal and adding seven assists for eight points through 46 games, while only playing seven games in the minors.
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This season, Broberg had eight games under his belt with the Oilers before they sent him down where he had no points. He had an assist in his only game with the Condors so far this season and seemed to have confidence, which he’s lacked to start the season in the NHL.
Why Was It Long Overdue For Broberg?
The Oilers have been waiting patiently for Broberg to break out and become a top-four defenceman, but he’s failed to do so. The dominance he showed overseas in Sweden and with the Condors hasn’t transferred to the NHL level at all. While he plays sound defensively and can produce a little bit on the third pairing with the Oilers, he really doesn’t provide much in terms of shutdown defending or special teams.
Some time in the AHL will be good for Broberg, where he can find some confidence and hopefully bring it back up to the NHL level when he is recalled. The unfortunate injuries the Oilers are dealing with may have him down a bit longer than the team would like, but this is exactly what he needs. The team wants him to take a massive step forward this season, and with a struggling team he may be able to do that, he just needs a tune-up with the Condors.
