The St. Louis Blues and general manager Doug Armstrong took the league by storm when they signed two restricted free agents of the Edmonton Oilers to offer sheets – forward Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg. They signed Holloway to a two-year deal at $2.29 million per year and Broberg at two years and $4.58 million per year. It’s hard not to respect Armstrong and the Blues’ front office taking advantage of the vulnerable Oilers.
The Oilers decided against matching the two offer sheets and received a second-round pick for the Broberg deal and a third-round pick for the Holloway deal. The Blues also sweetened the offer by sending defenseman prospect Paul Fischer and a 2028 third-round pick to Edmonton for future considerations. Let’s get into why these two additions change the club’s expectations in 2024-25.
Broberg Fits Blues’ Defensive Unit Well
At 23 years old, it’s been an interesting run as an NHLer for Broberg. He hasn’t quite reached his potential after being the eighth overall pick of the Oilers in 2019. However, many would argue that he was one of their better blueliners throughout the run to the Stanley Cup this past season. He was a plus-8 in 10 playoff games in 2024. The tools are there and I assume that’s a big reason why the Blues pulled the trigger.
Related: Oilers Lose Broberg & Holloway to Blues’ Offer Sheets
The idea of a Broberg and Colton Parayko pairing is very exciting. That alone instantly changes the trajectory of the top-four defense in St. Louis. While it could be viewed as an overpay right now, it’s still not as high-risk for the Blues as it would have been for the Oilers. They are far less cap-strapped than Edmonton and that’s a big reason why they found them to be vulnerable. Overall, I think Broberg will prove to be a great addition to the Blues’ defense.
Holloway Has Plenty of Upside
Similarly to Broberg, Holloway had a very solid playoff run with the Oilers. He appeared in all 25 playoff games and scored five goals. He also hasn’t proven a ton in the way of regular-season production, but he’s only 22 years old and has loads of upside. Head coach Drew Bannister did a solid job with young Blues last season after taking over for Craig Berube in December.
He was picked 14th overall by the Oilers in the 2020 Draft. I believe he has 20-goal potential and could get near that in either of his two seasons with the Blues. He’ll fit well into the middle six and could even play second-line minutes if the club goes with Pavel Buchnevich at center to start the season. He’s ready to take the next step and should get there with more ice time in St. Louis.
Blues Lineup Will Be Stronger in 2024-25
The Blues have certainly improved their lineup for 2024-25 with the additions of Holloway, Radek Faksa, Mathieu Joseph, Broberg, Ryan Suter, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph. While they’re all mostly depth additions, they are better than what the club had last season and it’s tough to argue against that. It bolsters the lineup in several important areas, including forward depth, scoring, and better defensive defensemen.
I think Armstrong has done a really good job this summer without sacrificing the youth movement or the possibility of making the playoffs. The current roster should be in the mix for a Wild Card spot all season and could be near the top three of the Central Division. Either way, the 2024-25 season has gotten more interesting, especially in St. Louis.
