When the Edmonton Oilers selected Swedish defenseman Philip Broberg with the eighth overall pick at the 2019 draft, they likely had hopes that by 2023, he’d be a notable part of their NHL roster. Numerous players selected after Broberg have gone on to become legitimate difference-makers in the NHL, such as Trevor Zegras, who the Oilers’ division rival Anaheim Ducks selected with the very next pick.
To be fair to the Oilers, Broberg was always more of a project pick even at the time. Broberg is a gifted skater with impressive physical tools, and the hope was that those tools would eventually be developed into the more polished skillset of an elite NHL defenseman.
That hasn’t happened yet, though. Broberg spent two seasons after he was drafted playing pro hockey in the SHL for Skellefteå AIK and represented Sweden in a big role at the IIHF World Junior Championships both years. He made his North American debut in 2021-22, splitting time between the NHL with Edmonton and the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors.
This past season, Broberg spent most of his time in the NHL, skating in 46 games for the Oilers. He didn’t play a huge role, averaging just 12:36 TOI per game, although he did get a look on the penalty kill. Going into next season, the hope is that Broberg, now 22, will emerge as an impact NHLer just as so many from his 2019 draft class already have.
The Athletic’s Alan Mitchell writes that “there’s plenty of chatter from management” in Edmonton that Broberg will be “playing more this year,” with the implication being that Broberg will eventually replace incumbent top-four veterans Cody Ceci or Brett Kulak. (subscription link)
Kulak appears the likelier of the two to end up replaced in role by Broberg, simply because he’s a left-shot blueliner (like Broberg) while Ceci plays on the right side. Broberg has played on either side but one would think Broberg would reach his maximum comfort in the NHL playing on his strong side.
The fate of Broberg this season is of great importance to the Oilers, not just from a developmental perspective but also from a financial one. Salary cap constraints are likely to force the Oilers into carrying less than the maximum of 23 players on their active roster during the season. Broberg costs just $863k against the cap, while Kulak’s contract earns him $2.75MM per year through 2025-26.
Should Broberg find a way to finally take the next step in the NHL and seize a top-four role from Kulak, the Oilers could consider dealing the veteran to receive much-needed cap savings. But whether or not he actually takes that needed next step is still to be seen, and it could make Broberg one of the more intriguing players to watch in the preseason and early parts of the regular season.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
He was a ”end of first round” prospect at the time. He was taken too soon at eight. So the expectations are too huge since. Same as Tyler Boucher pick with senators, Boucher was projected to be picked beginning of third, and same as Easton Cowan pick this year with Toronto projected to be picked middle of third round. They wont be ”flop”, just players that have been taken too soon by their scouting department, the mistake is with the decision to take them too soon, not a player problem.
Kulak is not in the Oilers top 4. Never has been. The Oilers top 2 pairing are Nurse – Ceci, Ekholm – Bouchard. Apparently so far in captains skates the Oilers have been trying out Nurse – Bouchard, Broberg – Elholm. But Kulak has never been top 4 on the Oilers.