When you look at social media or the comments section of various newspapers, a lot of Edmonton Oilers fans have lamented the loss of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to the St. Louis Blues’ offer sheets last year.

But should they? Should you?

There’s one thing that’s been overlooked when it comes to the offer sheets of these two players last season — their season as a whole, playoffs included. Let me expand on what I mean by looking further at each player individually.

Once you look at his numbers, a lot of people look at the 26 goals he scored and lament that we lost what could’ve been a great piece next to Leon Draisaitl. But that’s only half the story.

It’s time to peel back the proverbial outer layer of the onion.

The real measure of an NHL player is how he plays in the playoffs. A lot of guys can produce in the regular season — even Alex Chiasson once scored 22 goals in a season, and he was a bottom-six forward for most of his career. Regular season production is all well and good, but it’s the guys who produce in the playoffs that elevate their games to an even higher level when everyone around them, teammates and opponents alike, are trying to do the same.

So how did young Holloway do in the playoffs? He didn’t even get there. He was on the shelf with an injury suffered in Game 77 of the regular season and never came back for the Blues for the rest of the season. Talk about singing the Blues.

And that’s even the worst part, either, as Holloway has a history of getting injured, dealing with wrist and knee issues during his few years in Edmonton.

Some may call this bad timing or bad luck, but I call it an injury history. I won’t deny he blossomed into a solid power forward for the Blues in the regular season, but he was on the shelf when it counted the most. Considering how he performed during the regular season, that was probably one of the reasons why they fell in the first round last season to the Jets in the playoffs. There’s some trepidation about a player who could get hurt when your team needs him most.

I don’t know about you, but personally, I’m much happier with the guy the Oilers signed as a free agent, who, in my opinion, will take that spot this year instead of Andrew Mangiapane.

In fact, if you look at his stats, Mangiapane in his time with the Flames actually produced at a half a point per game pace in two out of three playoff appearances. Those were on the Flames teams that didn’t have anywhere close to the firepower this year’s edition of the Oilers has — Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evan Bouchard, a healthy Zach Hyman once he’s completely healed, and potentially guys like Matt Savoie and Ike Howard. That’s not including some of the bottom six forwards that are also capable of spending time in the top six forward group, too.

I’m also much happier with his official replacement in the forward group, too, as Vasily Podkolzin showed well in his first season in Edmonton. If he can score more, he just might make himself a permanent fixture higher up in the roster.

Broberg, just like Holloway, produced fine in the regular season, scoring eight goals and 29 points with a +21 in 68 games, but if you once again peel back the outer layer of his proverbial onion, you’ll find a guy who underachieved when it mattered most.

He went from a guy who was vying for any ice-time in his final season in Edmonton to a second-pairing regular on the Blues. He largely went missing in action in the playoffs, going from a modest two goals and three points in 10 games with the Oilers two seasons ago to an even more modest goal and two assists in seven games in the playoffs in St. Louis. That’s a disappointing regression, even if it’s not by much.

I mean, look at the circumstances. Broberg was disappointed in his role with the Oilers, but got what he wanted with the Blues: a fresh start, more money, and a bigger role in the NHL.

And yet when the pressure got turned up in the playoffs, Broberg wilted and nearly disappeared. In his defence, his partner, Justin Faulk, disappeared almost as much in last season’s playoffs. That is the Blues’ second pairing, and it’s costing Blues general manager Doug Armstrong over $11 million a season.

How was this better for the player who would’ve been better suited remaining on the Oilers and dishing the puck out to Darnell Nurse or moving the puck himself in a depth role? Maybe he just wasn’t ready for that bigger role.

I think the Oilers’ trading for Jake Walman at the deadline worked out much better for the team. Not only does Walman have a cheaper cap hit for next season and last season compared to Broberg, but he’s more of a finished product. Where Broberg produced at a .29 point per game pace, Walman produced at .45 point per game pace.

It remains to be seen at this point. Players usually reach their prime producing years by 25 years old, and it’s important to remember that Holloway is only 23 and Broberg is only 24, so neither player has reached their apex. This means both players have a chance to turn things around in the playoffs — and that’s, of course, assuming that the Blues even make the playoffs next season, as they barely squeaked into the final wild card spot in the west last season ahead of the Flames.

After all, you can ask the Toronto Maple Leafs what it’s been like to have a core that looks invincible in the regular season but disappears in the playoffs. It’s maddening.

If that’s what Holloway and Broberg have turned into, then the Oilers are better off without them. They found cheaper players and managed to upgrade their roster spots.

Only time will tell if this is true. Broberg and Holloway might just kill it in next year’s playoffs and prove me wrong, as there’s still time for both players to get it together.