The St. Louis Blues looked to salary cap-strapped Edmonton to upgrade their roster, issuing offer sheets to Oilers defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway, the team announced Tuesday.
The rarely used move leaves the Oilers seven days to match the Blues contract offers to the restricted free agents or opt to receive draft picks from St. Louis as compensation.
The Blues offer to Broberg was two years and $9.16 million, which would amount to a second-round pick as compensation if the Oilers decline to match. Holloway received a two-year, $4.58 million offer, which amounts to a third-round draft pick as compensation.
To satisfy NHL requirements in issuing the offer sheet to Broberg, the Blues also announced a trade with Pittsburgh to reacquire their second-round pick in next year’s draft. St. Louis also added a 2026 fifth-round draft pick while sending the Penguins a 2026 second-round selection and a 2025 third-round pick.
The Oilers had no immediate comment on the Blues move.
The last team to issue an offer sheet was Carolina in 2021 when the Hurricanes landed center Jesperi Kotkaniemi from Montreal after the Canadiens failed to match the offer.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is seeking to fast-forward his rebuilding plan for a team that has missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. Meanwhile, the Oilers are currently projected to be more than $354,000 over the cap after they lost the Stanley Cup Final in seven games to Florida.
Matching the offers would add close to $6.88 million to the Oilers total. Teams have until the start of the season to be under the cap.
Stan Bowman was hired in July as the Oilers’ general manager to replace Ken Holland, whose contract was not renewed.
The 23-year-old Broberg, selected eighth overall in the 2019 draft, had two assists in 12 regular-season games last year, and added two goals and an assist in a career-high 10 playoff games. He has two goals and 11 assists in 81 career regular-season games.
The 22-year-old Holloway, selected 14th overall in the 2020 draft, had six goals and three assists in 38 games last season, and added five goals and two assists in 25 playoff games. Overall, he has nine goals and nine assists in 89 regular-season games.