This offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs have focused on bolstering their defense, and one proposed trade involves bringing back Cody Ceci from the Edmonton Oilers. According to a new tool on PuckPedia called PuckGM, which allows users to create and propose trades, there is a suggestion that the Maple Leafs could reacquire Ceci in a multi-player trade.
The proposed trade would see the Maple Leafs receive:
– Cody Ceci
– Beau Akey
In exchange, the Oilers would get:
– Alex Steeves
Ceci, who is set to enter the final year of his four-year, $15 million contract, could be part of this deal due to the Oilers needing to clear salary cap space. This need arose after the St. Louis Blues extended offer sheets to Edmonton’s Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, pushing the Oilers to make room under the cap.
Along with Ceci, the Maple Leafs would also gain Akey, one of Edmonton’s top defensive prospects. Akey was selected in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft and, during the last season, played 14 games in the OHL, scoring 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points.
In return, the Oilers would receive Steeves, a restricted free agent forward who is currently unsigned and has been a fringe NHL player. This trade is seen as more of a financial maneuver for Edmonton, allowing them to manage their salary cap issues and match the offer sheets for Broberg and Holloway.
Edmonton is currently over the salary cap, as reported by PuckPedia, and needs to free up space to accommodate the offer sheets. Ceci and defenseman Brett Kulak have been identified as potential trade targets. According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, the Oilers are exploring options to offload these contracts to make the necessary room. Teams interested in Ceci or Kulak might demand additional compensation, such as a first- or second-round pick, given the circumstances.
Another option for Edmonton is to place forward Evander Kane on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), which would provide them with $5.125 million in cap relief, provided Kane remains injured.
The Oilers have a deadline of August 20 to match the Blues’ offers to Broberg and Holloway.
Cody Ceci’s history with the Maple Leafs dates back to July 1, 2019, when he was acquired from the Ottawa Senators along with Ben Harpur, Aaron Luchuk, and a 2020 third-round draft pick in exchange for Nikita Zaitsev, Connor Brown, and Michael Carcone. After signing a one-year, $4.5 million deal with Toronto, Ceci’s sole season with the team was challenging due to an ankle injury, limiting him to 56 games with 1 goal and 7 assists. Following Toronto’s playoff exit, Ceci signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins.