The Edmonton Oilers have gone from being heartbroken after losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to trading into the first round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft to focusing on upgrading their team in hopes of making another deep run in the 2024-25 campaign. With several changes and additions including the signings of Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, as well as a trade that saw Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio head to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Matthew Savoie, the Oilers may still need to move some money out to re-sign their restricted free agents (RFA). One potential trade candidate is defender Cody Ceci, who could have some interest from several teams around the NHL looking to upgrade their depth on the blue line. Here are four teams that could look to acquire Ceci if the Oilers do make him available.
Utah Hockey Club
The first team that could look to make a move for Ceci is the Utah Hockey Club. They made some strong additions to their blue line including their massive trade to bring in Mikhail Sergachev as well as acquiring John Marino to add to their depth. While they might not be destined for the postseason in their first official campaign as a franchise, their additions have made them a much more competitive team. Just like every other team in the NHL, the ultimate goal is to win a Stanley Cup, but Utah may be looking to sell seats and be competitive for their first season rather than win a championship. Adding a Stanley Cup finalist like Ceci could help do just that.
Last season, when they were still the Arizona Coyotes, the team seemed destined for another several seasons of struggles as they went through a rebuild. Now, they seem just a couple seasons away from competing and making a solid playoff run. If they acquire Ceci and aren’t doing well by the trade deadline, they could flip him for an asset to a contending team looking to add to their bottom-pairing.
Calgary Flames
The second team that could acquire Ceci is the Calgary Flames, who are close to being forced into a full rebuild after their revamp bringing in Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri has seemingly failed. They could look at trading for him if it meant they could get a draft pick back from the Oilers as well, instead of paying for him. Ceci is in the final season of his contract, and he likely won’t be able to push the needle in a positive direction for the Flames. But, if they’re more interested in adding draft capital and the Oilers are willing to attach a pick to the trade, the Flames could be interested.
Related: 2 Reasons Edmonton Oilers Won McLeod-for-Savoie Trade
Ceci would fit on the Flames’ bottom pairing and would likely be used the same as if Utah acquired him, which is a depth addition until the trade deadline where he could be flipped for another asset. Ceci needs a fresh start elsewhere, and the Flames could be a team that takes him on to allow him to be a leader, while attempting to fine-tune his game as he looks to earn a new contract heading into the 2025-26 campaign.
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks seem poised to finish close to if not dead last in the standings this season. They haven’t made any moves during free agency, they were quiet at the draft, and they seem to be quiet on the trade front. If they plan to endure another tough season through the rebuild, Ceci seems like the perfect candidate for them to acquire. The Ducks could look to add some bad contracts if it meant draft picks were coming their way, and so Ceci falls into that category. Like Utah and the Flames, the Ducks would be banking on a solid season from Ceci so they could flip him at the trade deadline.
As a division rival, it’s tough to imagine the Ducks being willing to help the Oilers out and take on Ceci for close to nothing, so realistically it would come down to whether or not the Oilers would be willing to attach a draft pick or a young asset on top of it. As they head for another season of losing, the Ducks could be the one team that gives Ceci more ice time and potential top-pairing minutes.
Washington Capitals
The final team that could have some interest in Ceci is the Washington Capitals, who have been extremely active this offseason as they look to make one more deep run with their current aging core. While they brought in Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, and Jakob Chychrun via trade, they could look to fill out their depth with the addition of Ceci. The Capitals are the only team I’ll mention that could be willing to pay a draft pick or an asset to bring him in, which could entice the Oilers to move him there. The Capitals need to find a replacement for Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Ceci could be that guy.
All four of these teams make sense to acquire Ceci. Three of them would be looking to have a draft pick attached to bring him in as a salary cap dump, but one should be willing to acquire him for a late draft pick. Either way, the Oilers need to move on from Ceci, and these four squads all have different reasons to want to bring him in.
