Stan Bowman believes the Blues overpaid for Holloway and Broberg…
This summer, the St. Louis Blues signed two players from the Oilers, Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, through aggressive offer sheets.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman had the option to match the offers, which would have added $4.58 million and $2.29 million to Edmonton’s salary cap. However, he declined, saying in an interview with Pierre LeBrun of *The Athletic* that he feels the contracts will end up being too costly for St. Louis.
What’s surprising is that one of the deals comes after Broberg only played 49 games in the AHL last season.
Had the Oilers matched, Broberg would have earned more than their top defenseman, Evan Bouchard, who makes $3.5 million annually.
While the offer for Holloway at $2.29 million per year seemed more reasonable, it was still too high for a team like the Oilers, focused on a championship run while managing their budget carefully.
From St. Louis’ perspective, these contracts likely reflect an aggressive approach to locking in the players, even if it means higher costs initially. Holloway and Broberg are now officially Blues property, but at a significant price.
Both players were top-15 draft picks, but the Oilers’ response has painted them as a team struggling to negotiate effectively. Bowman maintains he offered fair deals, with $1.1 million per season for Broberg and $1.05 million for Holloway, but wasn’t willing to overpay.
