The Edmonton Oilers were recently blindsided after the St. Louis Blues successfully sent offer sheets to restricted free agents (RFAs) Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg who both chose to sign the deals, leaving the Oilers in a tough spot with no money available as they try to match the contracts within seven days. While there were reports that the Oilers could bring both Holloway and Broberg back on deals worth roughly $1 million per season, the team opted to delay re-signing both of them. They are tight to the salary cap, so with the Blues offering Broberg $4.8 million annually over two seasons while offering Holloway $2.2 million over two seasons, they need to shed some money if they hope to bring them both back.
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In a recent report from San Jose Sharks’ insider and pundit Sheng Peng, he lists the Sharks as a team who could help bail the Oilers out so they could retain both youngsters. While acknowledging Evander Kane’s injury situation and mentioning he will likely be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) which could help the Oilers temporarily, his $5.125 million cap relief still wouldn’t be enough to match the offer sheets. In his article, he mentions that the Sharks have been looking to add a right-shot defender, so Cody Ceci could be someone of interest.
Ceci to the Sharks, Would It Help the Oilers?
Peng also mentions Brett Kulak but believes Ceci is a more desirable trade target. In theory, the Sharks wait for the Oilers to get desperate and take Ceci and a draft pick in exchange for a prospect or a later draft pick. If Ceci can elevate his game by the 2025 Trade Deadline with the Sharks, he could become a desirable rental and the Sharks could obtain even more assets by trading him to a contender. They won’t be making a playoff push as they continue their long rebuild, but proper asset management and taking advantage of a rough situation the Oilers are in could be a genius move from their management.
Looking short-term, it would be a tough pill to swallow for the Oilers if they have to give up a draft pick to shed Ceci. However, it would be more important to consider why the long-term plan would make this a smart move. There is no guarantee Ceci will re-sign, and he is an aging veteran whose play is declining at a rapid rate. Broberg is the polar opposite, as he continues to elevate his game and has the potential to become a top-four defender within a couple of seasons. Realistically, moving Ceci to keep Broberg would be a smart move.
Ceci could be a solid addition for the Sharks as well, even if it’s just temporary. Their defensive lineup is weak, and it’s something that should worry Sharks fans if they hope to fight their way out of last place this season. Having a potential superstar in Macklin Celebrini join the team will be huge for the Sharks and while they made some strong moves in free agency, they still have the weakest lineup in the NHL.
By no means is Ceci a needle-mover who could elevate the Sharks into a fringe playoff team, but he could be a perfect asset that makes general manager (GM) Mike Grier look like a genius. In his article, Peng doesn’t mention that a deal is close between the two teams, but the fit makes perfect sense. At the end of the day, the Oilers have to do something sooner rather than later unless they want to lose both Holloway and Broberg.
