The St. Louis Blues announced Tuesday morning that they had signed Edmonton Oilers defenseman Phillip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway to offer sheets, meaning that the Philadelphia Flyers are now down two potential options to both bolster their roster and add young talent.
Early reports indicate that Broberg received a two-year deal with a $4,580,917 AAV, while Holloway signed for two years at a $2,290,457 AAV. This is important, as a single dollar more on each player’s AAV would have required St. Louis to pay additional compensation.
In a corresponding transaction, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick from the Blues in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fifth-round pick. This gives St. Louis the compensation necessary to complete the offer sheets should Edmonton choose not to match within the allotted seven-day period.
The Flyers and Oilers had long been strong prospective trade partners, especially considering Edmonton’s perpetuated need to add depth and talent defensively. The Oilers were reportedly interested in trading for former Flyers defenseman Sean Walker, who ended up being dealt to the Colorado Avalanche at the NHL trade deadline before signing with the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency last month.
Further to this point, Broberg is only 23 years old, while Holloway is only 22. Both players are at stages in their careers where they would benefit more from increased ice time, and after making a run to the Stanley Cup Final, Edmonton was not necessarily in a position to afford them that with the high stakes.
The Oilers did, however, acquire top Buffalo Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie as part of a major offseason retool.
There is still a number of restricted free agents still available, including another potential Flyers option in center Cole Sillinger, currently of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
While there is, of course, no guarantees for the Flyers here on out, the Blues’ move on the Oilers shows that not all NHL teams intend on remaining dormant through the doldrums of the offseason.
