The St. Louis Blues have had a disappointing season so far, sitting at 17-21-8. That places them seventh in the Central Division, six points behind a playoff spot. Still, one of the more productive defensemen for the Blues has received an extension. Philip Broberg and the Blues have agreed to a six-year, $48 million extension. This is a deal that will benefit both parties.
Broberg was the number eight overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. Due to the delayed start of the 2020-2021 NHL Season, Broberg elected to stay in Sweden for one more season, playing in the SHL with Skellefteå AIK to continue developing. He would join the organization in 20212-2022, initially playing with the AHL Bakerfield Condors. He played 23 games at the NHL level in 2021-2022, with one playoff game.
The Swede would spend time over the next two seasons with both the AHL and NHL, playing in 19 more playoff games for the Oilers, but never finding consistent playing time. He would be a restricted free agent after the 2023-2024 campaign. The Blues gave Broberg an offer sheet, and the Oilers declined to match, leading to Broberg heading to St. Louis. He had a career year in 2024-25. He found the back of the net eight times while adding 21 assists in 68 games. Further, many of his advanced statistical rates were the best of his career, per 60 minutes, including Corsi Factors against and expected goal against.
Philip Broberg Contract Grade
Broberg got a solid contract here, especially considering where he came from. He was a highly talented first-round pick, expected to make a major impact on the NHL roster for the Oilers. The most games he played in a season were 46 games in 2022-2023, and he played in nine playoff games. Still, he was often a healthy scratch and did not produce much. The next season saw less time at the NHL level, but he did score a goal in the Stanley Cup Finals. His entry-level contract had an AAV of $1.71 million. When that expired, he was a restricted free agent, and the Blues offered $4.58 million in AAV. The Oilers felt that was too much for that player and declined to match.
The blueliner was going to be a restricted free agent again this offseason, with arbitration rights. Now, he has a six-year deal. On the financial side, this is a major pay raise for Broberg. He went from almost $4.6 million to $8 million per season. Further, he has security. This deal runs through the 2031-2032 season, giving him long-term stability that he has not had in his career. Meanwhile, he will have a no-trade clause starting in 2027-2028 and running for three seasons. Then it converts to a modified no-trade clause for the last two years of the deal.
Finally, this puts him in a situation to get one more major payday when the contract is done. He will turn 31 in the summer of 2032, which still gives him some prime of his career left to offer a new team or the Blues again. Overall, this is a great deal for a player who was once discarded by another franchise.
Philip Broberg Contract Grade: A
St. Louis Blues Contract Grade
The timing of this deal by the Blues was impeccable. While the franchise has struggled this year, they showed last year that they can turn it around quickly. Part of the turnaround last season was the play of Philip Broberg. He had his best season as a professional, lighting the lamp eight times while adding 21 helpers. He was also a major part of the penalty kill and had his best plus/minus rating of his career.
The Blues could have re-signed him after that, but waited, as it could have been a one-off last season. Broberg is continuing on the same track this year, currently with two goals and 13 assists, while also having a plus-six plus/minus rating and seeing the most ice time of his career. If he continued on the trajectory and hit restricted free agency, this deal could have climbed north of $9 million in AAV. By signing him now, they have realized he is on the right track, but they also did not have to overpay.
Meanwhile, the franchise is excited to have him, which is always good. Blue's GM Doug Armstrong spoke excitedly about retaining the young defender.
“It's exciting to have him for this year plus six more that basically takes him right through the meat of his prime years. He's been one of the few bright lights in a season that hasn't gone anywhere near the way we expected. He's a player on the back end I think we can build around,” Armstrong said to the media after signing the new deal, according to Lou Korac of The Hockey News.
The Blues see him as a cornerstone to the franchise and the blue line. Broberg will be just 25 years old when the new contract takes effect. This means that the Blues get six years of the prime of the defenseman, at a solid cost. They did have to give him some trade protection, with three years of a no-trade clause and two of a modified no-trade clause.
Regardless, if Broberg is seen as a franchise cornerstone, they should be glad to do that. Meanwhile, the first year of the contract does not have trade protection, so if it becomes clear quickly that he is going to regress, the Blues can attempt to move him in a contract that may have some value. The timing of this deal, combined with the fact that the team now has three core blue line players locked up through 2028-2029, makes this a solid deal.
St. Louis Blues Contract Grade: A-
