Oilers' Ceci may become expendable to upgrade roster
The Edmonton Oilers are continuing to find ways to bolster their lineup ahead of the trade deadline, but have limited cap space to do so.
After the signing of Corey Perry, the Oilers have just over $1 million in cap space. This means that if they hope to bring in an impactful player at or ahead of the deadline, they will be forced to move out some money as well.
One player who is being talked about a lot as a potential sacrificial lamb is Cody Ceci. The 30-year-old is in the third year of a four-year deal, which carries a cap hit of $3.25 million.
Ceci has been a whipping boy of sorts for the Oilers but has done a better job at performing to the level of his contract than many predicted he would when it was initially signed. The issue is that he is being relied upon in a top pairing with Darnell Nurse, when he would be much better suited on a second or third unit. His inopportune defensive miscues, paired with his lack of offence, make him exposable on this Oilers team.
Ironically enough, the area where the Oilers could stand to improve heading into the deadline is on the back end, which is why many fans are suggesting the team should look to move Ceci for an upgrade on the right-hand side.
One name being thrown around plenty is Chris Tanev, who the Calgary Flames are likely to move before the deadline. Tanev, who has been one of the NHL’s better shutdown defencemen for several years, is in the final year of a contract with a cap hit of $4.5 million. While the two sides would likely be able to make things work from a cap perspective, the Flames would likely demand a very high price from their bitter rivals, which is why general manager Ken Holland may be better looking elsewhere.
One intriguing option is Jakob Chychrun, who the Oilers were believed to be in on before bringing in Mattias Ekholm. The 25-year-old is reportedly on the market, and, despite being a left-handed shot, plays on the right side. He has one additional season remaining on his contract, with a team-friendly $4.6 million cap hit.
Another right-side defenceman who has been discussed in trade rumours as of late is Colton Parayko. The 30-year-old is having a solid season but could be on the move with the St. Louis Blues potentially looking to reconstruct their roster. While he would certainly be an upgrade over Ceci, he is in just the second year of an eight-year deal with a $6.5 million cap hit. Perhaps Holland can work some magic, but despite some chatter from fans, this one feels a little more far-fetched.
Whether Holland agrees that the back end needs upgrading remains to be seen. There is also the possibility that he instead looks for a goaltender to help support Stuart Skinner. If that were to be the case, moving Ceci would be extremely unlikely, as it would leave the back end far too exposed. That said, if he does plan on bringing in a defenceman, Ceci will likely be heading the other way.
- You might also like:
- Oilers have become Stanley Cup favourites on several betting sites