EDMONTON — With the news that Philip Broberg wants out of Edmonton, front offices around the National Hockey League are asking the same questions that you and I are asking about the 2019 first-rounder:
Can he play? Will he play?
Is he Juuso Välimäki, who found a home on Arizona’s blue-line after Calgary gave up on him? Or is he Olli Juolevi, who never made it in the NHL?
Was Broberg a bust at No. 8 overall, taken ahead of names like Trevor Zegras, Cole Caufield and Matthew Boldy? Or is he a diamond in the rough, a poorly developed prospect by the Oilers who could be shined up and rehabilitated elsewhere?
So, we asked around.
“I saw this kid come into Edmonton. Young, big, skates pretty well…” began a Western scout from an Eastern Conference club. “I thought, ‘They have a good young player here.’ Now where are we?
“They had a six-foot-three guy who can skate, and they’ve done everything in their power to play (Vincent) Desharnais and the big Finn in Bakersfield (Markus Niemeläinen) ahead of him.
“I’m thinking, ‘Am I missing something here? Is there a coach that doesn’t like him?’”
Truth be told, it’s easy to say that Broberg — who is still just 22 — was a commanding, assertive defenceman in the American Hockey League, and a guy who outgrew the Swedish League as well.
But with just 79 NHL games played, and many of those with less than seven minutes of ice time, who really knows what Broberg is at the NHL level?
Where guys like defenceman Darnell Nurse all played right away, Broberg has been tasked with making a team that fancies itself a Cup contender. Minutes are precious and the pressure is on to win here.
“Now it's a team where we're pushing and trying to be one of the top teams in the league, and there's a give and take with development at that point,” Nurse said. “So he's in a tough spot.”
The plan was for Broberg to open the season paired with veteran Mattias Ekholm. Then Ekholm got hurt, missed camp, and the Oilers lost two of the first three games.
Under then-coaches Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson — a pair who never loved this player — Broberg fell out of the lineup. He never really found a footing again, playing in just 10 of Edmonton’s 22 games this season.
The new coach, Kris Knoblauch, is like us. He doesn’t have much of a clue what he has in this player.
“It's about being comfortable, and you’ve got to play. Those usually work together, because if you don't play it's hard to be comfortable,” Ekholm said. “As a young D-man he's got all the tools that you could ever ask for a young D-man to have. So I'm sure he's gonna figure it out sooner or later. But I think at this time, it's just about him. We need him to be playing. He’s not going to develop in the press box.
“That's just what that is, and I'll leave that up to whoever decides what to do.”
So, how does a group of objective pro scouts evaluate this player?
“I like him,” said a different Eastern Conference scout. “Good size, but needs to get stronger. Skates well, decent vision, will transport the puck… Has played very well at the AHL level, but not enough experience or confidence to do same at NHL level — yet.
“He’s always been under mega pressure in Edmonton. I think if he went to a more stable environment he’d be better,” the scout said. “He’s a good chip to trade but patience is required. If he goes to a team that can invest some time in him, play regular 15-16 minutes, he could blossom.”
A scout from within the Pacific Division best summed up how many of us feel, when he said, “You’ve probably seen him dress and not play more often than I’ve seen him dress and not play.
“I don’t know what he is at the end of the day. I just haven’t seen enough of him.”
And this from a Central Division scout: “I don’t think his brain is quick enough for the NHL He doesn’t process the game quick enough. You could argue he hasn’t had enough minutes, but it doesn’t take that much time to adjust. Either you can think it quick, process it, or you can’t. I just don’t see it with him.
“(Brett) Kulak, he skates and competes hard, keeps up with the pace of play. Broberg, they say he’s a good skater but he never closes. He’s so passive. He skates the puck north, but that’s where it ends for me. You don’t have to hit people, but you have get tight to them to take away their time and space to make a play.
“He’s never done that.”
The final word to this Canadian-based pro scout, who will pitch Broberg to his boss if asked.
“He might be a tough sell now, because his growth has been stunted,” the scout said. “But somebody who has some time and patience to pick this guy up, could have a pretty good player when he’s 23, 24 years old.
“And shame on Edmonton for not making this guy a better player.”
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