Report: Broberg trade is holding up Oiler's plans with Jack Campbell

Earllier this week it was reported that the Edmonton Oilers have given permission to defenseman Philip Broberg to seek a trade out of Edmonton.

From NHL inside Frank Seravalli:

According to a report from Ken Holland himself, he has NOT granted Philip Broberg and his agent Derrin Ferris permission to seek a trade.

From TSN Oilers insider Ryan Rishaug:

Yikes... pretty condemning words from Ferris here. It's clear to me that Holland has no clue how to handle personnel decision in 2023. He may be a Hall of Famer, but it's time for him to pack it up for good. The game has passed him by... by nearly 20 years actually.

Late last night NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that a potential trade or an AHL demotion is holding up the team's plans with goaltender Jack Campbell.

From Friedman's latest 32 Thoughts podcast for Sportsnet:

There may not be official permission for Philip Broberg to talk to other teams, but the word is out and there is interest. Edmonton may send him to AHL Bakersfield because it’s much better for a 22-year-old to play there than sit in the NHL.

I thought he may go down sooner to make room for Jack Campbell. The plan was to bring back Campbell after three strong starts, but the fourth one — a 6-4 win over Texas — didn’t go well, halting the idea. I still believe the Oilers will give Campbell another shot, as it's better to try to solve your problem than pay whatever it will take to trade your problem (which would be significant), but it might not be until next week. Bakersfield backup Olivier Rodrigue, a good prospect, needs his playing time, too.

- Elliotte Friedman

Campbell has gone 3-4-0 in seven games for the AHL's Bakersfield Condors, posting a 3.28 goals against average and a .873 save percentage. Not... not great.

As for Broberg, he's pointless in 10 games so far this season and only has two goals and 11 points in 79 career games across three seasons. The 22 year old was taken 8th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and has stalled in terms of his development in recent seasons. He's been made a healthy scratch multiple times this season and, frankly, he looks like he needs and deserves a fresh start elsewhere.

If indeed Broberg finds a new fit elsewhere, he'll serve as another example of GM Ken Holland's dismal draft track record. 2020 1st round selection Dylan Holloway is the only Oilers' draft pick under Holland to play any serious time in the NHL and his future is still very much in doubt, as well. The real shame with Broberg though is that Holland reportedly refused to part with the Swedish defender in their pursuit of Jakob Chychrun, now of the Ottawa Senators and formerly of the Arizona Coyotes. The Oilers were reportedly close to a deal to land Chychrun from the Coyotes, but Holland flat out refused to include Broberg in a potential deal, later stating that he felt Broberg could surpass Chychrun in terms of production and proficiency by... 2023

Well, I don't know if you've checked a calendar lately but 2023 is nearly over. Chychrun is an all-star while Broberg can't even get into the Oilers' lineup. Ouch...

As for Broberg, if he can find a team willing to give him regular top six minutes on the blue line he should jump at the opportunity. It's clear that the kid has the size and skill required to be a quality NHL defenseman, he just needs to build up his confidence with a team that will support his development. And, while the Oilers have had some success bringing in supremely talented prospects like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, they fall woefully short of expectations when it comes to developing other blue chip prospects.

All signs point to this being another failure for the Oilers thanks to their GM.