The Toronto Maple Leafs have put an emphasis on defense this offseason and one trade pitch has the team re-acquiring Cody Ceci from the Edmonton Oilers.
The website PuckPedia has a new tool called PuckGM that lets users create their own trades and one user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs re-acquire Ceci in a multi-player deal.
Maple Leafs get:
Oilers get:
The proposed deal would see Toronto re-acquire Ceci who is entering the final year of his four-year $15 million deal. Ceci’s name is involved in trade discussions following the St. Louis Blues’ offer sheeting Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, as Edmonton needs to clear cap space.
With the Maple Leafs taking on Ceci’s contract, Toronto would also acquire Akey who is one of Edmonton’s top defensive prospects. Akey was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NHL draft and last season he appeared in just 14 games in the OHL recording 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points.
As for the return, Edmonton would acquire RFA forward Steeves. Steeves is without a contract and has been a fringe NHL player in his career. However, the proposed deal is more about moving Ceci’s contract so Edmonton can match the offer sheets to Broberg and Holloway.
Oilers Need to Clear Cap Space
Edmonton is currently over the salary cap, according to PuckPedia, and needs to create cap space so the Oilers can match the offers to Broberg and Holloway.
With Edmonton looking to create cap space, Ceci and fellow defenseman Brett Kulak have been mentioned as trade targets, according to Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch.
“League executives told Postmedia on Thursday that the Oilers were trying to get the contracts of defencemen Cody Ceci ($3.25 million) and Brent Kulak ($2.75) million off the books so they could match the offer sheets, and we’re told there are teams that have shown interest,” Garrioch wrote.
“But, if teams are going to make those deals, they’re going to want something extra from the Oilers to take on Ceci or Kulak’s contracts. We’re told that could be a first- or second-round pick in both scenarios because teams know they’ve got Jackson cornered,” Garrioch added.
Edmonton could also place forward Evander Kane on LTIR which would give them $5.125 million in cap space, as long as Kane is out with an injury.
The Oilers have until August 20 to match the Blues’ offer sheets to Broberg and Holloway.
Ceci’s Time With The Maple Leafs
Toronto acquired Ceci on July 1, 2019, along with Ben Harpur, Aaron Luchuk, and a 2020 third-round draft pick from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Nikita Zaitsev, Connor Brown, and Michael Carcone.
Ceci signed a one-year $4.5 million deal with the Maple Leafs after the trade, but his lone season with Toronto did not go well. The defenseman suffered an ankle injury in February and missed a month.
The defenseman ended up skating in 56 games recording 1 goal and 7 assists for 8 points. In the playoffs, he appeared in five games recording 1 goal.
After Toronto was eliminated from the playoffs, Ceci left the Maple Leafs after one season and signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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Trade Pitch Has Maple Leafs Re-Acquiring $13 Million Defenseman