3 teams the Oilers should call regarding Cody Ceci at the trade deadline
The Arizona Coyotes need a defenseman with another year left on their contract
While the Arizona Coyotes will ultimately sell at the trade deadline, it also doesn’t mean they can’t be forward-thinking. You may need to see this one to believe it, but Arizona has four pending restricted free agents and three unrestricted on the blue line. So, if a team like the Oilers needs to sell off a defenseman like Cody Ceci to create cap space, Arizona should be listening.
A team that at least enjoyed a small stint as a contender could also use Ceci’s leadership, as he’s been part of several teams that have made deep playoff runs. This would make him a strong veteran voice in a locker room for a young team that could use a few more of them.
It becomes especially true when you realize that the pending unrestricted free agents in Arizona are Mathew Dumba (29), Joshua Brown (30), and Travis Dermott (27). Even if Ceci spends just the final season on his contract with the Coyotes, they would pick up a lot from a blueliner who has over 750 games of NHL experience.
It’s often counterintuitive for a non-contending team like the Coyotes to buy at the trade deadline. And as mentioned, Arizona will be selling, but it makes a lot of sense for them to bring Ceci to the desert.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 23rd)