3 former Oilers are on fire: GM Bowman under fire for questionable decisions
As the Edmonton Oilers struggle to gain traction during the early stages of the NHL regular season, GM Stan Bowman faces criticism.
It's no secret by now that the Oilers lost two of their elite up and comers (Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg) to the St. Louis Blues via offer sheets. They also lost Ryan McLeod in a trade to the Buffalo Sabres for top prospect Matthew Savoie. Despite the return being great for the Oilers, the decisions by Oilers management are now being questioned.
Although it was Jeff Jackson who traded McLeod away, GM Stan Bowman was in charge of dealing with the offer sheet situation with the Blues. Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway have been lights out to start the season, and fans are now wondering of it was the right decision.
According to Liam McCormick of Oilers Daily, On an individual basis, newly acquired Buffalo Sabres forward Ryan McLeod has shown the NHL that he does have a scoring touch as he had scored four goals through four straight games.
Some fans have felt that he's soft, and he could not score with only twelve goals last season as his personal best along with 30 points and was a + 10. Through eight games, he has scored four goals with one assist for five points and as a + 4 and has raised his average ice time to 16 minutes and 4 seconds.
Broberg was welcomed by the St Louis Blues with open arms after the Oilers decided not to match his offer sheet. General manager Doug Armstrong had a plan and a position for Broberg in his lineup and He has performed well beyond expectations. Having six points through six games and is a + 6 are numbers any team hopes for when they acquire a player.
Many fans have took to social media saying Broberg and Holloway «didn't want to play Edmonton», but I'm sure for the right price, they would have stayed. The Oilers had a tight salary to cap to navigate during the offseason, but watching all three of these former players succeed is tough to see.
Do you think getting rid of these three players was the right move? Answer our Oilers Insider poll to have your say!
