Will Edmonton Ultimately Match Both Offer Sheets Presented by the Blues?
The Edmonton Oilers are a team everyone expects to be at the top of the Pacific Division again next season. Odds have the Oilers back in the Stanley Cup Final and maybe completing their story.
Just look at the offseason the Oilers had by keeping Adam Henrique, Corey Perry, and Mattias Janmark, trading Ryan McLeod for Matthew Savoie, and signing Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner. The Oilers were determined to return to the Stanley Cup Final and end Canada’s 30-plus-year Cup drought.
Things got a little more interesting as the St. Louis Blues sent an offer sheet to two of their young players, Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. It will be challenging for the Oilers to match both players and losing one or both will be a major loss to this roster. Both played so well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Final for Edmonton.
NHL News: The St. Louis Blues Sign Two Edmonton Oilers To Offer Sheets
So, what will the Edmonton Oilers do? Will they match both, let both walk, or match one and let another go?
TSN: TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button joined Sarah Davis on SportsCentre to discuss this topic in a Hot or Not segment. Craig was asked about the offer sheets presented by the St. Louis Blues and is it a must for the Edmonton Oilers and GM Stan Bowman to match them.
** NHLRumors.com transcriptions
Sarah Davis: “Okay, but the Blues put the Oilers in a bit of a pinch by giving both Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg offer sheets. Hot or Not. Craig Edmonton must match the offers and keep both Holloway and Broberg.”
Craig Button: “Oh, that’s hot. That is flaming hot. That is burning. I can’t even touch it. It’s so hot. You have two players that were drafted in the first round. You spent four and five years watching these players develop. They’re young. They showed in the Stanley Cup playoffs that they can be really important players for your team, so let them go for a second-round draft pick, and a third-round draft pick makes zero sense.
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So yeah, they have some challenges in terms of how they make it work on their salary cap. But this is the conundrum that the Edmonton owners find themselves in. The bigger conundrums, and the bigger problem for them would be if they don’t have these two players after spending so much time watching them develop and knowing that they can become important players.
Davis: “Right? And then the Oilers could be not hot without them, but they have until August 20 to match the Blues offer sheets if they want to sign either player.”
The Edmonton Oilers clock is ticking to match the offer sheets, but they will use every minute to determine the best route for this organization.