The Edmonton Oilers have to commit one way or the other with young defenseman.
There is a lot going on with the Edmonton Oilers right now. Between the 1-4-1 start to the season and the Connor McDavid injury there is enough to worry about for Oilers fans.
I would add another item to the list - Philip Broberg.
But not because of his play, which has been actually quite good. I would be worried about Broberg because of the minutes that he is playing. He needs to meet a minimum threshold of minutes for two main reasons.
One, so that he can develop properly. And two, so that if the Oilers decide to move on from Broberg he will have perceived value from the other team to make the trade happen.
Philip Broberg.In six Oilers games this season Broberg has played in five of them. His ice time for those games played out like this: 16:03, 13:25, 14:59, 10:26, 9:16. This is hardly acceptable for the team's top defensive prospect in the last year of his entry level contract. The Oilers must take one of two actions with Broberg.
Play Him More
Mattias Ekholm compared Broberg's game to himself - which is fantastic news for fans. He's played more on the penalty kill so far in this 2023-24 regular season. He's earning 26.4% of the shorthanded minutes - compared to 17.2 and 13.3 in the two seasons previous.
Philip Broberg, Evan Bouchard.Defensemen develop by playing. I don't know that sending him down to the Bakersfield Condors is an option that the Oilers have seriously considered. For what it is worth, he would be exempt from waivers if the Oilers sent him down to the AHL.
Trade Him
If he isn't getting the playing time right now, maybe trading him is the best course of action? I don't personally like the idea, as I believe in his potential to be a top-four two-way defenseman.
When the rubber meets the road, the Oilers need to win hockey games. That should happen by either playing Broberg or trading him for an upgrade that will play games for the team.
Related: Oilers' Best Prospect is the Next Mattias Ekholm
Related: Ex-Oiler Healthy Scratch For New Team
Related: 3 Takeaways from Oilers 7-4 Loss to Wild
Related: Oiler Forward Dominant With McDavid Out