Across the past week, not much was said to Philip Broberg or Dylan Holloway about where they’d be living for the next two years.
They were in limbo, waiting seven days to see if the Oilers would match offer sheets they’d signed to join the Blues. With the relative rarity of offer sheets in today’s salary-cap environment and the temporary isolation from an NHL team, Broberg and Holloway were left without many people who had gone through what they were going through.
Except for each other.
“It was just a weird thing. The offer sheet thing doesn’t really happen often, so we’re both pretty new to it,†Holloway said during a video conference on Tuesday afternoon. “I talked to him a bit before (we signed). After we signed it, I just said congratulations to him because either way, he was getting paid. It’s always a good thing for him.
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“We were kind of talking throughout the whole week here just because we didn’t hear anything from anybody until 7 a.m. this morning my time. I’ve been texting him a bit after. It definitely feels better to be going somewhere with somebody that I know and that I’m pretty close with.â€
Broberg added: “At the end of the day, it’s business. I’m very excited for the opportunity here in ºüÀêÊÓƵ. I’m very thankful for the years in Edmonton as well and for the teammates and the coaches I have there. I’m looking forward to a new chapter in ºüÀêÊÓƵ now.â€
At 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, the verdict came down that the Oilers would not be matching the offer sheets for either player. Broberg and Holloway were Blues.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong made sure 22-year-old Holloway and 23-year-old Broberg knew what the team’s vision moving forward was and wanted to make the former first-round picks part of it.
“I like where his head was at,†Holloway said. “He was talking about how he wants to build a young core group of guys that can build up together. ... That was his goal was to accumulate first-round picks. With the young core group of guys we’ve got here, I think in the next couple years, we could be a very, very good team. It’s exciting to think about.â€
Broberg (No. 8 in 2019) and Holloway (No. 14 in 2020) were both first-round picks by Edmonton.
“Everything I’ve heard about them is very good and positive,†Broberg said. “I’m very excited and happy that I’m a Blue. I’m looking forward to it and looking forward to getting to know everybody in the organization.â€
Neither Broberg nor Holloway offered much detail about why they wanted to leave Edmonton for ºüÀêÊÓƵ — although the steep raises to $2.29 million for Holloway and $4.58 million for Broberg do plenty of the talking for them.
“I have nothing bad to say about the fans at all,†Broberg said. “The fans in Edmonton are great. I have nothing bad to say about teammates. I’m very happy about my time in Edmonton. I’m looking forward to a new chapter in ºüÀêÊÓƵ.â€
Holloway called leaving the Oilers “a bittersweet pill to swallow.â€
“There’s so much more that goes into it than people think,†Holloway said. “People just think you look at the numbers and it’s like, ‘I’m going to take the better number.’ For myself, we were trying to get a number with Edmonton. We were just pretty far off in our negotiations, I’d say.
“With ºüÀêÊÓƵ, too, I was able to talk to Doug Armstrong before I signed it, and he gave me the vision of where ºüÀêÊÓƵ is going as a team, how they have such a good, young core group and their goals for the next couple years.â€
Holloway has played a limited role with the Oilers during his first two seasons in the NHL, totaling 18 points in 89 games while averaging 10:21. Drafted as a center, Holloway has played primarily winger in the NHL.
During Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Final, Holloway played in all 25 postseason games and had five goals and two assists.
“For me as a player, it allowed me to grow and gain a lot more confidence playing in those big games, some crucial times and trying to produce a little bit here and there is definitely big for the confidence,†Holloway said. “I’m just trying to build off that to start next year.â€
Similarly, Broberg had a breakout postseason after a regular season in which he spent most of his time playing in the AHL for Bakersfield. Broberg played the final 10 playoff games for the Oilers, averaging close to 16 minutes a night.
“It was very fun to play and try to help the team,†Broberg said. “I tried to get better every day. I think I took steps there in the playoffs, and I’d like to continue that throughout the next year and so on.â€
Both Broberg and Holloway will make their return to Edmonton on Dec. 7, one of two trips the Blues will make to Rogers Place.
“They definitely have very passionate fans and a lot of die-hard fans, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some boos, but at the end of the day, I don’t think the fans really understand the circumstances that we were put in,†Holloway said. “Hopefully, it’s more of a warm welcome. I had nothing but good things to say about my time in Edmonton, but I could see them booing a little bit. I think it’ll be fun.â€