Top Oilers insider expects imminent announcement on offer sheet situation

Oilers reporter Mark Spector is now saying to expect the team to make an announcement tomorrow afternoon regarding their two RFAs.

This comes in the wake of an extremely interesting trade made between the Oilers and Canucks. The Oilers were expected to shed salary in their next trade but instead added Vasily Podkolzin for a fourth round draft pick, who seems to be a candidate to replace Dylan Holloway in the lineup. If the Oilers are now going to let Dylan Holloway leave, they can replace him adequately and get another third round draft pick in compensation.

Matching the offer for Philip Broberg will be even more difficult. The team was expecting to pay Broberg less than $2M this season, but will now have to pay him $4.58M if they want to keep him. It's very possible that the Oilers now could let both players walk and look to replace them in trades throughout the season and at the trade deadline.

After acquiring Vasily Podkolzin, the Oilers are currently $8.225M over the salary cap - meaning significant moves will be coming, and they'll likely let at least one RFA walk.

Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway are good young hockey players who could have a long future in the NHL, but they're not essential to the Oilers success. Even if they lose both players, the Oilers will be a cup contender this year and into the future. The two RFAs could even grow to regret leaving the Oilers to chase more money elsewhere if they lift the Stanley Cup this year.