What Happens if the Edmonton Oilers Lose Holloway and Broberg?

Early Tuesday morning, the St. Louis Blues put the Edmonton Oilers in a sticky situation. With both young talents signing offer sheets, the Oilers now only have seven days to match. The problem? These deals put the Oilers $7.23 million over the salary cap limit. After both players had breakout postseasons, the idea of losing both Dylan Holloway and Phillip Broberg is a major concern.

But what would the Edmonton Oilers roster look like without both young talents, and could the Oilers still be considered a top contending team?

Ultimately, the Oilers could lose both of these promising young prospects, which would expose some vulnerabilities, particularly on defense. Broberg’s presence helped to break up the much-criticized Darnell Nurse-Cody Ceci pairing. Without Broberg, the stability of the blue line becomes uncertain. Naturally, no changes are expected from the first pairing of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard. But looking further down the line-up, a Nurse-Brett Kulak pairing could be expected.

Given the criticism of the Nurse-Ceci pairing, it’s unlikely they’ll be paired together again. This likely means Ceci will be partnered with either Troy Stecher or another young defenseman in the Oilers’ system.

Dylan Holloway Oilers offer sheet

These defensive pairings raise concerns, further weakening an already questionable Oilers’ defense. With the loss of Vincent Desharnais, the Oilers are already missing a key player. If Broberg is also lost, fan confidence in the team’s defense could erode even further. This growing doubt challenges the notion of the Edmonton Oilers being a top contender.

What About the Oilers’ Offence?

On the offensive side, losing Holloway could also be a blow for the Oilers. During the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Holloway made a significant impact with his performance. His quick chemistry with Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane was particularly impressive. Additionally, Holloway demonstrated the ability to thrive under pressure while playing top minutes—a commendable feat for a 22-year-old.

Many predicted a Holloway-Adam Henrique-Corey Perry third line, a line with a lot of offensive talent. There was also a chance Holloway would make brief appearances in the top six. However, with Holloway not on the roster, this opens a space for another arguably even more exciting talent, Matt Savoie, to make his Oilers debut. This shuffles the expected lines. With Savoie in the lineup, one could imagine a third line consisting of Mattias Janmark-Henrique-Perry with a fourth-line combination of Savoie-Ryan-Brown. The only uncertainty is Savioe’s non-existent NHL resume. With only a singular NHL game under his belt, many question whether he is ready for the NHL level.

The offer sheets sent over by the St. Louis Blues force Edmonton’s hand. The Oilers either let both talents walk or create a bit of a nightmare cap scenario by trying to match both offers. The lack of urgency to sign these players might be the exact reason the Oilers lose these talents. Whether this constitutes losing the title of a top contending team is up in the air as the Oilers still have an incredibly talented offensive core. Either way, the Oilers are less than what they used to be and what they could’ve been by losing Broberg and Holloway.

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