BLOG: Holloway & Broberg return to Oil Country for first time as Blues

EDMONTON, AB – Say hello to some old friends turned rivals.

Defenceman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway are set to return to Oil Country for the first time since signing offer sheets with St. Louis this past offseason when the Blues visit Rogers Place on Saturday night to face the Oilers.

“I'm excited,” Holloway said after Friday’s practice. “It's definitely a weird feeling being on this side of it, but I'm excited for tomorrow and it should be fun.”

“It's been great,” Broberg added. “Obviously, I had a good time here in Edmonton. I got drafted here and I enjoyed my time here, so it's good to be back.”

Both former first-round picks of the club, Holloway and Broberg came up through the Oilers organization and were playing important roles at the NHL level for Edmonton last season during their run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, but that would be their final act in Blue & Orange.

On August 13, both skaters signed offer sheets with the Blues, leaving the Oilers one week to decide if they wanted to match their respective two-year, $2.9 million and two-year, $4.58 million AAV deals or receive draft compensation in the form of second and third-round picks.

“Obviously, it was a stressful week, and I didn't know what would happen,” Broberg said. “You just try to stay off your phone and stay off the internet."

The Oilers decided not to match, and now, over three months later, both Holloway and Broberg are poised to make their return to Rogers Place for the first time as Blues while enjoying successful debuts in St. Louis.

“It's been good,” said Holloway. “Anytime you go to a new team, you try and fit in as best you can and showcase your skillset and what kind of role you want to fill.”

Holloway scored five goals and added two assists over 25 playoff games last season with the Oilers, including a pair of goals in Game 4 of the Cup Final against the Florida Panthers that helped them avoid elimination before Edmonton rattled off three straight victories to force a Game 7.

But since joining the Blues, the former 14th-overall pick by the Oilers in 2020 has caught fire, recording eight goals and eight assists in 27 games to nearly matching his total of 16 points (8G, 8A) over 89 regular-season games as a member of the Oilers.

“It was definitely tough,” Holloway added. “We were two shots away from winning the Stanley Cup, so you end up getting pretty tight with a lot of the guys and a lot of the staff. It was just such an incredible run that we went on, and it was definitely tough leaving. But with that being said, I've been really happy with my situation here in St. Louis and I've been getting some great opportunities. The coaches, my teammates and everybody's been great.”

The Calgary, AB product is riding a career-best five-game point streak of four goals and four assists into Edmonton while primarily playing as a centre for St. Louis – a position where he received reps as an Oiler – but the return of Robert Thomas from injury has pushed him back to playing on the wing.

“I was playing centre there for a bit and then I was playing wing,” he said. “Thommer was hurt there for a bit, so that's when I was playing centre. But now that he's back, I'm playing on the wing. But I take pride in my ability to play whatever position the coach wants.”

Broberg, taken eighth overall by the club in 2019, took a major step during last year’s playoffs when he came into the lineup for Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars with the Oilers facing elimination.

The 23-year-old scored in their Game 6 victory in Dallas and finished with two goals and an assist in 10 playoff games, but even with a top-four spot looking locked up for him in Edmonton this season, he made the decision to sign the offer sheet with St. Louis.

“I enjoyed my time in Edmonton and I think it was a lot of fun during the playoff run we had last year and going to the Final and being that close,” he said. “But I felt I was ready for a new opportunity, a new chapter and here we are.”

Broberg has missed 12 games with a knee injury this season, but the Swede has enjoyed similar success as Holloway in St. Louis, producing two goals and ten assists in 15 games while filling a top-four role that includes time on the power play.

The 23-year-old blueliner has three assists in his last three games since returning to the St. Louis lineup, including two helpers over a career-high 26:51 of ice time in Thursday’s overtime win over the Calgary Flames.

“I was injured for a little bit, so it takes a little bit to get back in a rhythm and everything, but it started to feel better,” Broberg said.

“I think just confidence-wise, you just have to trust yourself out there, want to make plays and I think I've taken some steps defensively. You just want to be hard to play against.”

Holloway and Broberg aren’t sure what type of reception they’ll receive inside Rogers Place on Saturday night, but they’re thankful for their time spent in Edmonton.

“I'm not really too sure about the fan response, but I got nothing but love for the fans of Edmonton and the people of Edmonton,” Holloway said. “They're such a passionate, knowledgeable fan base and that was why it was so fun to play here. I'm just excited for whatever response they have and I'm excited for the game tomorrow.”

“I actually don't know,” Broberg said. “I guess we'll have to find out.”