The Edmonton Oilers did their best to give Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway security before the St. Louis Blues’ offer sheets.
According to Blues reporter Andy Strickland, the Oilers offered Broberg a two-year deal with an AAV of $1.1-million, while offering Holloway a three-year deal worth $1.05-million.
Told the original offers from the Oilers to Phillip Broberg was a 2 year deal with an AAV of $1.1 million. The offer on the table from Edmonton to Dylan Holloway is believed to have been a 3 year deal at $1.050 million. #LetsgoOilers #stlblues
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) August 20, 2024
Basing those off of contract projections from Evolving-Hockey, Broberg’s deal would’ve seen him paid a quarter of a million dollars more per year, while Holloway’s would’ve seen him earn $203,000 less than projected. AFP Analytics, meanwhile, projected a one-year deal for each player, with Broberg earning $874,000 and Holloway $1.008-million.
Ultimately, the pair secured lucrative contracts from the Blues, with Broberg’s new deal paying him $4.5-million per year and Holloway $2.2-million, with the Oilers determining they were unwilling to take the hit to their books.
Instead, the Oilers got another pair of players of a similar age and experience level as those two, at contracts the team was more comfortable with. They picked up 23-year-old Vasily Podkolzin, who has two years left on a deal paying him $1-million, and 24-year-old defenceman Ty Emberson, who has one year left on a deal paying him $950,000.
At its core, it’s shrewd cap management from the Oilers as the newcomers will be able to fill similar roles as the outgoing players for the team this year. Coupling the acquisitions, letting Broberg and Holloway walk while moving out Cody Ceci and his $3.25-million contract, the team has essentially found $8.171-million in salary cap relief while remaining flexible to other moves.
The team now doesn’t have to worry about being in the long-term injured reserve with Evander Kane, instead being able to run a roster of 21 players, having $946,000 in cap space and the ability to accrue up to $4.4-million in space before the NHL’s trade deadline, according to salary cap resource site PuckPedia.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
