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…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…