The Edmonton Oilers selected Philip Broberg 8th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Ken Holland is entering into his fifth season as general manager of the Edmonton Oilers. In his first draft with the team he selected Swedish defenceman Philip Broberg 8th overall. 

Related: Oilers Shouldn't Trade Broberg Right now 

While there were other players available at that selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Holland stuck to his guns and picked the best player available in his eyes. He had a lot of good tools and 6-foot-3 frame, making him a desirable player.

Broberg's road to NHL minutes hasn't been glamorous. To his credit, he's far from the worst defender on the team. With more ice time and more games under his belt he will flourish. His average time on ice (TOI) through his first 69 NHL games is 12:54. 

To contrast, Oscar Klefbom averaged 15:47 TOI in his first season where he played 17 games. In his second year he played 60 games with 22:00 TOI. I'm not suggesting he will be the next Klefbom, but at some point you need to just let young players play. Not every player is elite and can play top minutes right out of the gate. Even elite players like Leon Draisaitl and Roman Josi didn't jump into the NHL right away.

Related: 5 Best Swedish Born Oilers of All Time

The 21-year-old defender is not a finished product yet. He will continue to grow, mature, get stronger and refine his game. While it may be foolish to trade a player on the upswing, he may become a casualty to the unfortunate cap situation that the Oilers find themselves in. 

Will Broberg still be on the team after the 2023 NHL Entry Draft? Will he stick around and force himself into the top-four? Unfortunately, not all of that is up to Broberg to decide.