After a great camp and his ability to turn heads, the Edmonton Oilers have slightly shifted gears when it comes to a decision on defenseman Philip Broberg. One of their top prospects compete at training camp, it was announced Wednesday that he will be added to the Oilers play-in/playoff bubble.
GM Ken Holland told reporters today including Mark Spector of Sportsnet that the team will be taking Broberg into the Phase 4 bubble with them instead of returning him to his Swedish club. Originally, it was only expected Broberg would be with the team for Phase 3, but he’s been so strong and impressed so much, he’s earned himself a spot on the bubble roster.
With Mike Green out of the lineup, that helped open the door for Broberg, but the key here is that he’s beat out some players that were getting the first good looks, including top prospect Evan Bouchard. This is not to say Bouchard has been less-than impressive, only that Broberg has stood out.
Important to note here is that if Broberg does play, he could see the first year of his entry-level deal burned. He needs to get into 10 games for that to happen, but if he’s the best option for the Oilers as they try to push towards a Stanley Cup, the organization likely won’t fear making that decision.
The chances are, 10 games would be kind considering there’s no guarantee the team even plays that many games to end this season. Should he play less than 10, his contract would slide forward a year.
Related: Broberg Making a Case to Join Oilers In Playoff Push
Broberg Coming Along Nicely
There were some who questioned the pick when the Oilers made it at No. 8 overall in the 2019 draft. But, he’s proving to have been a solid bet. During a chat on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, Stauffer and Sportsnet’s Mark Spector talked about the defenseman’s progression at camp and said:
“Philip Broberg is closer to playing an NHL game, in my opinion, than Evan Bouchard.” – Mark Spector
Bob Stauffer’s reply, “You know his teammates know it.”
Again, the initial plan was for Broberg to only participate in Phase 3, before joining Skelleftea in the SHL for their own training camp. Now, he’ll be sticking around.
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