Philip Broberg looking forward to new challenge with St. Louis Blues

Defenseman joins Blues on two-year, $9.16 million contract after Edmonton Oilers decline to match offer sheet

ST. LOUIS -- Philip Broberg is ready to embrace a new challenge.

The newly-acquired St. Louis Blues defenseman, who joined the team on Tuesday when the Edmonton Oilers did not match the two-year, $9.16 million ($4.58 million average annual value) offer sheet tendered on Aug. 13, spoke for the first time and was ready to embrace what is ahead of him.

"I’m very excited to be a Blue," Broberg said. "(Agent) Darren [Ferris] made me prepare that this could happen. I’m very excited that I’m a Blue and I’m looking forward to it.

Broberg and Dylan Holloway, also tendered an offer sheet he signed, will now each head to St. Louis looking for new challenges after taking a run at the Stanley Cup in June but falling to the Florida Panthers in seven games.

The Oilers had seven days to match the offer sheets and in the end, elected to take as compensation a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft for Broberg and a third-round pick in 2025 for Holloway.

"It’s been wild," Broberg said. "I’m very excited to be a Blue and I’m very looking forward to meeting everybody and getting to know the staff and everybody and teammates. I’m just excited.

"Not much (anxious moments). You just try to focus on stuff you can decide on, just focus on working out, getting prepared for the season. When it came out that I’d be a St. Louis Blue, I was very excited and I’m looking forward to it."

Broberg, the eighth pick in the 2019 draft, projects as a top four defenseman, but after languishing in Edmonton's system for three years not getting much opportunity to grow into an NHL player until he played in the entirety of the Cup Final this past season and thrived, there was some growing speculation that he was open to a new challenge.

"At the end of the day it’s business," Broberg said. "I’m very excited for the opportunity here in St. Louis. I’m very thankful for the years in Edmonton as well and for the teammates and coaches I had there. I’m looking forward to a new chapter in St. Louis now.

"I try to get better every day and in practice. I’m looking forward to the opportunity in St. Louis. I’m very excited to come to camp and try to get better every day and help the team."

Broberg, who has played in just 81 regular-season games in three seasons and just 12 last season, stepped into Edmonton's lineup in the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars and really came into his own.

"It was very fun to play and try to help the team," Broberg said. "I try to get better every day and I think I took a step there in the playoffs and I’d like to continue that through next year and so on.

"I see myself as a good skater and I like to use my skating and my defending to join the rush as well. I like to play with a lot of pace. I like to help the team in any way I can and I like to use my skating a lot."

Broberg was coming off an entry-level contract that paid him an AAV of $1.713 million and a cap hit of $863,334. The Oilers reportedly only offered a modest raise for the restricted free agent, and obviously dipping into the offer sheet pool, the Blues had to overpay but did so for someone they view as a player that can continue to grow.

"I guess you never know but I’m very excited and happy that I’m a St. Louis Blue now," Broberg said. "I’m excited for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to it.

"I have nothing bad to say about the fans at all. The fans in Edmonton are great, and nothing bad to say about teammates. I’m very happy about my time in Edmonton and I’m looking forward for a new chapter in St. Louis."