Could the Oilers Bring Back Former Defenseman at Half Price?

** Update: It has been brought to our attention that the Oilers cannot bring back Ceci on a salary retained deal as per the rules of the CBA and when it comes to re-acquiring players at retained salary within a year of first trading them. We overlooked the fact the Sharks have retained on three players already, meaning they cannot retain on Ceci if they were to trade him. Our appreciation to both Jonathan Willis and PuckPedia for realizing our error.

Please note we have published a correction post on the subject here.

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** Original Post from November 9, 2024 is below

Sometimes, the best trades are the ones you don’t make. For the Edmonton Oilers, that might be what they’re thinking when it comes to Cody Ceci, who might be available in a return deal that would see Edmonton have to pay half of what they were paying him before.

The Oilers are said to be “looking around” the trade market, likely for a right-shot defenseman who can play second-pairing minutes. They had that player in Ceci and moved him to the San Jose Sharks for what they hoped was a less expensive and similar version of him in Ty Emberson. Emberson has been fine for his salary, but one could argue he’s in over his head in the expected role and his penalty-killing numbers have not been on par with what Ceci brought to the team when he was here.

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The Oilers might be wishing they hadn’t made that trade, but they had little choice given their salary cap situation. But, what if Ceci was half the price he was when he left? That’s actually an option for the Oilers.

Ceci to Be Made Available In Trade by the Sharks

Chris Johnston noted in a recent column for The Athletic, that there are a few names out there when it comes to available defensemen. One of them is Ceci. He writes:

Ivan Provorov topped my list of 10 early trade candidates published last month. The Columbus Blue Jackets will almost certainly move the left-shot defenseman ahead of the trade deadline. Some other names to consider are Cam Fowler of the Anaheim Ducks and Rasmus Ristolainen of the Philadelphia Flyers, both of whom are signed beyond this season. While the rental market is still taking shape and will hinge heavily on where the playoff races stand come late February, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the San Jose Sharks move veteran right-shot defenseman Cody Ceci before the end of the season.

The Oilers have been linked to all of these names, but Ceci’s is potentially the most intriguing. This a player the team knows and likes. He’s familiar with the system and the Sharks in a position to retain 50% of his salary in any trade deadline deal.

Does Cody Ceci at $1.625 Million Make Sense for the Oilers?

If the Sharks and Oilers swung another deal, what would it cost to get Ceci back and at 50% retained salary? It’s a good question and one the Oilers should find out the answer to. If for no other reason than their incredibly brutal penalty kill, Ceci could immediately slot in and help. It might be worth exploring the idea if it costs Edmonton a mid-round pick or someone with a bit of salary attached to their deal.

There are potentially better options out there, but arguably no better fits for the money. If the Sharks aren’t looking for much, the Oilers might want to consider righting a wrong.

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