The Blues have made offer sheets to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, putting the Oilers in a tough spot.
Edmonton needs to decide if they will match these offers, which would push them over the salary cap by more than $7M. Evander Kane being on LTIR helps for now, but they still need to clear cap space eventually. With many veterans on long-term deals and some new free agents, there aren’t many easy options.
Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch says the Oilers are looking to trade Cody Ceci and Brett Kulak to free up space. Together, their contracts total $6M, which isn’t enough alone but helps when combined with Kane’s LTIR status.
Ceci has one year left at $3.25M. He’s been solid in Edmonton’s top four for three seasons, playing over 20 minutes per game. Last season he scored five goals and had 20 assists in 79 games, plus five points in 22 playoff games as they reached the Stanley Cup Final. As a right-shot defender without trade protection, he might be easier to move despite his higher cap hit.
Kulak has a $2.75M AAV for two more seasons . He joined from Montreal in 2022 and fits well on Edmonton’s third pairing. Last season he scored three goals and had 13 assists in 82 games while averaging just over 15 minutes per night. In the playoffs, he played slightly more with eight points in 25 games. His price is high for a third-pairing defender though.
Trade Challenges:
Teams are interested in both Ceci and Kulak but want compensation because they know Edmonton is desperate due to these offer sheets. Garrioch mentions that taking either player might cost a first or second-round pick as an incentive.
Fans may think this situation puts Edmonton at a big disadvantage.
Edmonton doesn’t have those picks for the 2025 draft but does for 2026; matching Broberg ($4.58M) and Holloway ($2.29M) means no compensation from St. Louis either way.
The Oilers have seven days to decide on matching these offers or finding trades for Ceci or Kulak will heavily influence their decision about Broberg and Holloway.
What do you think? Should Edmonton match the offers or make trades?
