Just because the Edmonton Oilers freed money to potentially match offer sheets on Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway doesn't mean that's their only option, says Jim Parsons.
Philip BrobergThe Edmonton Oilers made two notable trades ahead of Tuesday's deadline to decide whether to match the St. Louis Blues' offer sheets for RFAs Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.
First, the Oilers decided to add another potential winger to the mix by trading a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for forward Vasily Podkolzin. Podkolzin ran out of runway in Vancouver, and the team moved on. The Oilers hope he'll take advantage of a fresh start and reach his former first-round draft selection potential.
A few hours later, the Oilers sent defenseman Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Ty Emberson. This was a clear cap dump, with the bonus of picking up a potential depth defenseman at a much less expensive cost per season.
These moves leave Edmonton about $5.9 million over the salary cap if it matches Broberg's two-year offer worth $4.58 million per year and Holloway's two-year contract at $2.29 million yearly. If the team puts Evander Kane on long-term injured reserve and demotes a player worth around $800,000, the club can get cap-compliant, per PuckPedia.
Despite having the cap space to retain both players, the Oilers may not necessarily do so.
Why Wouldn't the Oilers Match?
Adding Podkolzin suggests the Oilers may already have a replacement for Holloway. They also might allow Broberg to move on, considering he was reportedly seeking a fresh start during the season.
With big contracts for Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard looming, overpaying for any player is risky, especially with Draisaitl's deal expiring at the end of the season.
Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 also expressed skepticism the moves guaranteed Edmonton would match the offer sheets. He noted the team might pass on both players.
If the Oilers' locker room culture centers around team-first deals, matching these higher salaries could disrupt the chemistry that was so evident as the team fell just short of winning the Stanley Cup.
Ultimately, Edmonton may use this situation as a lesson for players who don't prioritize the team's best interests, signalling a potential shift in how the organization approaches contract negotiations and player retention.
At the same time, the Oilers' ability to make unexpected trades that put them back in control of their fate means they might have other things percolating. If Edmonton can find a depth winger and depth defenseman without giving up considerable sweeteners to teams in their division, what else can they do?
Should they choose, the team has the rest of Monday to move more pieces around. It's certainly possible GM Stan Bowman and CEO Jeff Jackson match and show the Blues they can navigate a pressure situation without much issue.
It's also possible they had no intention of matching, pivoted, and started working on other things, all while forcing the Blues to wait the full seven days before getting an answer.
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