San Jose Sharks’ Trade for Cody Ceci Shows Their Defense Is Still a Work in Progress – The Hockey Writers – San Jose Sharks

On the evening of Aug. 18, the San Jose Sharks made a surprising move on their blue line, sending Ty Emberson to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round pick. While not a massive trade, the deal is eye-catching because Emberson was a breakout candidate for the Sharks, and there was speculation that the Oilers would have to give up more than they ultimately did to get a team to take on Ceci’s contract. This trade says a lot about how San Jose sees their defense.

Emberson and Ceci in Very Different Career Stages

At 24 years old, Emberson has played just 30 NHL games, all with the Sharks. He gradually adjusted to the pro game, and the Sharks rewarded the restricted free agent with a one-year contract this offseason. The signing suggested — at least at the time — that he could be a valued defenseman in San Jose this season.

Of course, that has changed with the acquisition of the 30-year-old Ceci, who has appeared in 786 NHL regular-season games and 88 playoff games and is now on his fifth team. He is a durable, defensive defenseman, and his veteran presence should be helpful to a young Sharks roster.

San Jose’s decision to bring in a veteran blueliner makes a lot of sense. But giving up a young defenseman to do it is strange. Ceci’s name is already being discussed in trade rumors, and with the one year remaining on his contract, he might not be a part of the Sharks’ long-term plans.

Still, the fact that management was willing to move Emberson to get Ceci shows that Emberson probably didn’t fall into that category either. It’s particularly confusing since Emberson was one of the young defensemen mentioned when general manager Mike Grier explained his decision to go with in-house hire Ryan Warsofsky as the team’s new head coach.

As the Sharks rebuild, their blue line remains one of their major question marks. This trade seems a bit like they are kicking the can down the road instead of trying to answer those questions.

Sharks Have Many Decisions to Make About Their Defense

Even without Emberson, the Sharks have a handful of promising young defensemen in their system, such as Henry Thrun, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Luca Cagnoni, and Sam Dickinson. But this trade doesn’t seem to help them much. It moved out an up-and-coming blueliner without opening up a roster spot for another one.

The third-round pick could…