Philip Broberg was a new addition this season on the St. Louis Blues' blueline after a bold move by general manager Doug Armstrong to sign not one but two players to offer sheets. Dylan Holloway was the other player coming from the Edmonton Oilers, and in his first season as a Blue, he exceeded expectations, becoming a key contributor on this team.
Broberg was coming in with slightly higher expectations after a strong Stanley Cup playoff performance and a bit more pressure following the news that Torey Krug would miss the whole season with an injury.
Similarly to Holloway, Broberg struggled to become a full-time NHLer with the Oilers. In his three seasons in Edmonton, Broberg played a combined 81 games, producing 13 points in those games, averaging 12.42 minutes per game.
However, in the 2023/24 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Broberg was instrumental in the Oilers' run to the finals. His ice time increased by more than four minutes compared to the regular season, and he outdid his regular-season point total in just 10 games. Broberg continued that momentum with the Blues, exceeding expectations right away.
Grade: A - The Blues dealt with defenceman injuries early in the season, which saw Broberg get a shot to show what he was capable of, probably earlier than people expected. Krug was placed on LTIR before the season started, and Nick Leddy was injured in mid-October and did not return until early February.
A glance at Philip Broberg's 2024-25 season
The Blues needed someone to step up to fill the hole left in the top four of their defence, and Broberg more than delivered. Broberg made an immediate impact with the Blues, recording 12 points in his first 15 games, which is one point shy of his career points total for the Oilers.
In Broberg's first season in St. Louis, he put up some impressive numbers. He set career highs in goals, assists, and points, finishing the season with eight goals and 29 points in 68 games while playing 20:30 minutes per game.
Broberg finished second on the team in plus-minus at a plus-21. As the season went on, Broberg got more looks on the team's penalty kill, and by the playoffs, he was on the Blues' top penalty killing line. He was one of four players on the team with 100 blocked shots, with 103. Broberg was getting the job done on both ends of the ice and will have higher expectations going into next season.
What to Expect from Broberg in 2025-26
Broberg had an impressive opening season in St. Louis and was a key contributor on a team that made the playoffs. He showed that, given the opportunity, he can be a legitimate top-four defenceman in the NHL and has the potential to be a star defenceman in this league.
Going into next season, expectations should be for Broberg to continue to grow and improve, pushing to be the best defenceman on the team in the future. His offence numbers were good this season, but his points came in bunches. Broberg has 12 points in his first 15 games this season, but just 17 points the rest of the way.
If Broberg could be more consistent offensively, I do not think it is a far-fetched claim that he can become a 50-plus point-per-season player. There was a lot of shuffling on the blue line because of injuries and instability, but that all seemed to change once the Blues acquired Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks.
Broberg saw himself play with a bunch of different partners this past season. Hopefully, with the newfound continuity on the blueline, building chemistry with Justin Faulk could help push his game forward. If he continues to round out his defensive game while finding another gear offensively, there is no reason he can not be a cornerstone of the Blues' blueline for years to come.