The Edmonton Oilers will have a market for teams interested in the defenseman. Cody CeciIf they want to trade him, they will, according to Frank Seravalli of Bob Stauffer's Daily Faceoff on the Oilers Now podcast. Seravalli added: “Right-handed defensemen in that salary range are always in demand. You look at the salary ranges this summer and how much was spent. Cody Ceci would probably be pretty acceptable at that amount.”
Ceci has a $3.25 million cap hit through next season and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, making him a manageable rental with a new team. However, it's hard to imagine Edmonton, which still has $6.2 million in cap space, moving Ceci anytime soon unless they need emergency relief. The 30-year-old defender has played solidly in a quant role in the middle of Edmonton's lineup this year, recording five goals and 25 points in 79 regular season games, his second-most points in the past five seasons but three points shy of his career high. Still, even if his performance with the Oilers was far from exciting, Ceci provided the hard second-line passing and overall defensive strength to adequately support Edmonton's top line. On the open market, Ceci offers the presence of an 11-year veteran with 88 career playoff appearances, which is enough to justify the inexpensive return.
Other notes from the league:
- The Anaheim Ducks hired a former NHL forward. Tony Halcuk Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports that Harkac has joined the Tampa Bay Lightning as director of pro scouting. After serving in various coaching roles in Wisconsin, Harkac has been with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a pro scout since the 2015-16 season. Harkac joined the team during the Mighty Ducks' rebranding and was at the perfect time to take the next step in his coaching career, having played 140 games with the Mighty Ducks.
- Dynamic Colorado Avalanche prospect Nikolay Kovalenko According to Colorado Hockey Now reporter Evan Lawal, Kovalenko returned to the United States to train after a short break. This news will see Kovalenko play a full part in the NHL lineup next season. He earned three points in four AHL games and appeared in two Stanley Cup Playoff games late in the season. The 24-year-old Kovalenko became a highly-rated prospect during the 2022-23 KHL season, scoring 54 points in 56 games. He then added 35 points in 42 games. He will now look to take that dynamic scoring ability to the NHL, where fans should have a clearer idea of his long-term potential.
