What the Edmonton Oilers Offered Philip Broberg and Their Need for Better Development Paths

TSN: Ryan Risaug on the Edmonton Oilers contract offer to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway before they signed the offers sheets.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

“Some other info that we know. The Oilers did enter into negotiations with Broberg before these offer sheets happened. Two years at $1.1 million was their offer, according to Broberg agent Darren Ferris.

Who also tells me there were multiple other teams prepared to move with this offer sheet strategy against the Oilers. So if it wasn’t the Blues, sounds like it would have been another team.

Why were these players exposed if they’re that valuable to the organization? That’s a fair question. I think that there have been errors along the way in the way the Oilers have managed these two prospects. I think when you’re dealing with first-round picks and high-end prospects, they need to see a very clear plan in place.

When they’re in the National Hockey League, they need to get minutes. If they’re in the American Hockey League, they need to get big minutes. There needs to be a very clear development path laid out for players like this. And I think at times, this Oiler organization failed to do that, in particular with Philip Broberg, who oftentimes, last season, was hauled around on the roster as a seventh defenseman getting little or no minutes, which prompted a trade request last season.

So in the absence of a clear development plan, I think there was significant frustration in Broberg’s camp, and in a lot of ways, that’s what led to them being where they are here today.

No question, this hurts the Oilers from a development standpoint. They
have good young players still in the organization thanks to some of the trades they’ve made in this offseason, but likely in evaluation of the way they’re handling these top end picks, is something that this team absolutely needs to do.