3 Edmonton Oilers players who won’t be back next season

Cody Ceci will find himself traded in the offseason

There was a good chance the Oilers would have traded Cody Ceci before the trade deadline, but when that didn’t happen, it’s almost a foregone conclusion Holland will move the blueliner in the offseason. While Ceci is still logging top-four minutes, and his overall numbers haven’t been bad, Edmonton has also recently been having a tough time finding a permanent spot for him in the lineup. 

This is often a sign that Ceci hasn’t been as good of a fit lately despite his 50 percent Corsi For at 5-on-5, an on-ice save percentage of 91.5, and the fact that they still trust him as his ice time hasn’t necessarily dropped this season - from 20:08 in 2022-23 to 19:58 in 2023-24. 

There is an obvious disconnect between Ceci and the current system if he’s already been moved and hasn’t quite picked up his game recently. The only way we will see Ceci continue in Edmonton is if he either improves on his recent performances alongside Brett Kulak or if they find another place for him and he returns to form. 

Keep a close eye on whether Edmonton starts playing Troy Stecher more. If they do play the likely rental, Ceci sees his ice time curtailed, and the entire rotation benefits, the latter will be on the trade block this offseason.