St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins finalize trade, with Blues targeting Oilers’ Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.

In a surprising series of moves, the St. Louis Blues have executed a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins and subsequently tendered offer sheets to Edmonton Oilers players Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.

The trade involves the Penguins sending a 2025 2nd round pick and a 2026 5th round pick to the Blues in exchange for a 2026 2nd round pick and a 2025 3rd round pick.

Blues’ strategy behind the trade and offer sheets

The St. Louis Blues’ trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins is more than just a swap of draft picks; it’s a strategic maneuver aimed at enhancing their roster by targeting unsigned restricted free agents (RFAs) from the Edmonton Oilers.

Following the trade, the Blues have tendered offer sheets to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. The offer sheets outline a two-year contract for Holloway with a cap hit of $2,290,457 and a two-year contract for Broberg with a cap hit of $4,580,917. The Oilers now have seven days to match these offers.

Player performance and expectations

Dylan Holloway, who appeared in 38 games for the Oilers last season, scored six goals and added three assists. Despite these contributions, the Blues are betting on his potential to grow into a more impactful role.

On the other hand, Philip Broberg, who played 12 games with the Oilers last year, did not score and had only two assists. His performance has been less impactful compared to Holloway, but the Blues are clearly hoping to develop his potential further.

The Edmonton Oilers are now faced with a critical decision. If they choose not to match the offer sheets, they will lose two promising young players and receive no compensation in return. This situation places the Oilers in a challenging position, as they must weigh the benefits of keeping Holloway and Broberg against the financial and roster implications of the offer sheets.

As the Blues wait to see if the Oilers will match their offer sheets, all eyes will be on the Oilers’ response and how this impacts their roster decisions. For the Blues, the trade and offer sheets are a clear indication of their aggressive strategy to build a stronger team for the upcoming season.