What is an NHL offer sheet? Everything you need to know

The NHL's St. Louis Blues tendered offer sheets to the Edmonton Oilers' restricted free agent players Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. This process is rare in today's league, leaving fans confused.

An NHL offer sheet is a contract proposal made by one team to a restricted free agent from another team. When a team offers a contract to a restricted free agent, the original team has two choices:

1. Match the Offer: The original team accepts the offer and keeps the player.
2. Decline the Offer: The player moves to the new team, and the original team gets draft picks as compensation.

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Who can receive an offer sheet?

Players eligible for an offer sheet must:

• Be a restricted-free agent.
• Have at least one expired NHL contract.
• Have played a set number of NHL games (80 for forwards and defensemen, 28 for goalies).
• Be under 27 years old on July 1.
• Be without a contract for the next season.
• Have received a qualifying offer by June 25 or Monday after the NHL Entry Draft.

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Compensation Tiers

The compensation for not matching an offer sheet depends on the average annual value (AAV) of the offer.

AAV Range	Compensation
$1 - $1,511,701	No compensation
$1,511,701 - $2,290,457	1 third-round pick
$2,290,457 - $4,580,917	1 second-round pick
$4,580,917 - $6,871,374	1 first-round pick, 1 third-round pick
$6,871,374 - $9,161,834	1 first-round pick, 1 second-round pick, 1 third-round pick
$9,161,834 - $11,452,294	2 first-round picks, 1 second-round pick, 1 third-round pick
$11,452,294 or more	4 first-round picks

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Recent Examples

• Philip Broberg (2024): The St. Louis Blues offered $4.58 million for two years.
• Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2021): The Carolina Hurricanes offered $6.1 million for one year for the Montreal Canadiens to match. Montreal did not match and thereby received a 1st and 3rd-round pick.
• Sebastian Aho (2019): The Montreal Canadiens offered $42.27 million for five years. The Carolina Hurricanes matched the offer.

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NHL offer sheets to Edmonton Oilers players Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway

The St. Louis Blues have tendered offer sheets to Edmonton Oilers players Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. Broberg’s offer is for two years with a cap hit of $4,580,917 annually. If Edmonton doesn’t match, St. Louis will get a second-round pick.

Holloway’s offer is also for two years, with a cap hit of $2,290,457 annually. If Edmonton declines, St. Louis will receive a third-round pick.

Edmonton has seven days to decide if they will match the offers. The Oilers are currently over the salary cap, which may affect their decision. To make these offers, St. Louis traded with the Pittsburgh Penguins for additional draft picks.

Broberg has played 81 games for Edmonton, scoring two goals and 13 points. Holloway has played 89 games, scoring nine goals and 18 points.