On Aug. 12, the St.Louis Blues submitted an provide sheet to the Edmonton Oilers for ahead Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg. Broberg’s provide sheet included a deal price a mean annual worth (AAV) of roughly $4.6 million for 2 years, whereas the Oilers would get a second-round decide as compensation. As for Holloway, his deal was price an AAV of $2.3 million for 2 years, whereas the Oilers would get a 3rd decide as compensation for him.
After the Oilers didn’t match the affords on Aug. 20, the Blues acquired each gamers. The crucial asset amongst these two acquisitions is Broberg, and right here’s why.
Blues Repair Their Getting old Defensive Core Challenge
The Blues’ defensive core gamers are older than 30 and have no-trade clauses (NTCs) of their contracts. But, retaining them on the roster prevents openings to advertise younger defensive prospects. Whereas including Broberg for $4.6 million for 2 years feels like one other dent within the Blues’ wage cap, it’s not as unhealthy as the opposite defensive contracts the Blues have already got and it is sensible contemplating they’re getting a youthful defenseman.
Associated: Blues Including Oilers’ Broberg & Holloway Modifications Expectations for 2024-25 Season
In 2027, defensemen Torey Krug and Justin Faulk might be unrestricted free brokers (UFAs), and the Blues will unlock $13 million in cap area in the event that they let each stroll. Nonetheless, in 2025, each NTCs will turn into modified no-trade clauses (M-NTCs) with an inventory of 15 groups they can’t be traded to with out their settlement. In 2026, defenseman Nick Leddy may also be a UFA, opening up $4 million in cap area; he, too, has an M-NTC that prompts in 2025 with an inventory of 16 groups he can’t be traded to. That stated, the Blues can use the leftover cap to cowl Broberg’s contract in 2025-26 and even re-sign him if he calls for more cash after his contract is up after 2025-26.
The Blues, in a separate deal, traded defensive prospect Paul Fischer and a 2028 third-round draft decide to the Oilers for future issues. This implies the Blues have opened up some room for the way forward for their defensive lineup and allowed some area for Broberg inside the primary roster. The Blues didn’t surrender a lot in that commerce; nevertheless, Fischer confirmed some promise within the 2024 World Junior Showcase. The commerce gave the Blues the decide to compensate for Holloway and allowed some area on the Blues’ defensive depth.
One other Piece to Add to the Particular Groups
Final season, the Blues lacked depth on their particular groups. Defensively, they didn’t have the best instruments. Many of the strain gave the impression to be on high penalty-killing and shot-blocking defenseman Colton Parayko since the remainder of the core couldn’t produce or contribute as a lot.
Whereas the crew had 250 power-play alternatives and ranked thirteenth within the league final season, they solely scored 45 power-play objectives. Certain, they’ve Krug, who’s identified for hitting the 20 to 30 power-play-point mark, however with his harm and underperformance to achieve that mark in power-play factors, it appears it’s getting worse and worse over time. The final time Krug hit the 20-to-30-point mark on the ability play was in 2019-20 when he recorded 28 factors.
Broberg shouldn’t be the prime power-play consideration, however, at 23 years previous, with a brand new crew and system, he has the potential to develop. I believe the Blues can provide him a contemporary begin to rejuvenate his shaky profession — he at the moment has 13-career factors in 81-career video games within the NHL — and provides him the taking part in time he wants to enhance. In any case, he is a good skater and may be very helpful on offense when attacking on the ability play.
On the penalty kill final season, Broberg was within the defensive zone about 51.6 % of the time, barely above the league common of fifty.4 %. Despite the fact that his pattern measurement is small (12 video games), it’s a good quantity.
Blues Get a Prime-10 Draft Decide
Broberg was chosen eighth total within the 2019 NHL Draft, a draft class that included Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Matt Boldy, Moritz Seider, and Trevor Zegras. With the Blues, Broberg might show why he deserved to be chosen amongst these large names.
Earlier than the draft, he performed 89 video games on mortgage between 2019-20 and 2020-21 with the Swedish Hockey League’s (SHL) Skellefteå AIK, the place he recorded 21 factors. Broberg received his first alternative to debut on the North American skilled stage, taking part in with the Oilers in 2021-22. He was then despatched all the way down to the AHL (American Hockey League), the place he performed with Oilers affiliate Bakersfield Condors, recording 23 factors in 31 video games, displaying extra promising outcomes on the North American skilled stage than in Sweden.
He was once more despatched to Bakersfield in 2022-23 for seven video games and recorded 4 factors. That season, he performed 46 video games with the Oilers and solely recorded eight factors. Final season, Broberg performed 12 video games with the Oilers earlier than returning to Bakersfield (he was recalled to the Oilers later within the season), taking part in 49 video games with 38 factors.
The Oilers made a mistake by bringing Broberg into the NHL too quick and that was most definitely due to the expectations placed on his shoulders as a top-10 draft decide. Nonetheless, it doesn’t imply the Blues received a bust of a participant, as his AHL numbers are nonetheless nice. I believe if worse involves worse, the Blues can slot him into their AHL Springfield Thunderbirds roster so he performs someplace extra snug along with his sport and ultimately name him up when he’s trending in an excellent path.
The place the Blues Go From Right here Defensively
Broberg is not going to be a strong participant in a single day, and it’ll take a while for him to regulate to the Blues’ shutdown defensive type. Nonetheless, the roster has a number of offensively- and defensively-skilled veteran blueliners to assist him. He’s a two-way defenseman, so I see him becoming completely within the lineup, contemplating there are different two-way expert defensemen like Faulk and Leddy for him to be taught from.
For now, the Blues must work with the crew they’ve set for the upcoming 2024-25 season and construct Broberg round it.