It's clear the Oilers want to move on from Ceci this offseason and the Blackhawks have to bring in a veteran D-man, but not for nothing.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers could come together to pull off an offseason trade, but only if the Oilers initiate.
Even with the NHL's cap ceiling going up, the Oilers need cap relief as they are holding some overpaid players that the team could unload. Edmonton and Chicago are in very different places as the Oilers are in the Stanley Cup Final and the Blackhawks are drafting second overall after finishing 31st in the league.
While there are roster spots up for grabs on the Blackhawks next season, the goal is for the team to improve from its 23-53-6 record in 2023-24. This means upgrading personnel. In terms of changes on defense, Chicago is likely moving on from Nikita Zaitsev, Jarred Tinordi, and Jaycob Megna. These are three veterans that weren't overly effective, but played a role nonetheless.
The Blackhawks are a rebuilding, younger team, but that doesn't mean that veterans shouldn't be added. If anything, Chicago needs one or more on defense to help ease the transition while some of the prospects become full time NHLers. In terms of who the Oilers would dump on the Blackhawks, Cody Ceci is the obvious answer.
Ceci was a healthy scratch for the first time as an Edmonton Oiler in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final after some tough games. He is not a top-4 defenseman, but has been played in that role because there hasn't been enough money or anyone else to step up to push him down the lineup to where he should be. There is also a reason that he's played every game he's been healthy for the Oilers over the past three seasons. He's done something right.
Not only is Ceci a veteran with some solid experience to share, he's pretty reliable and a solid penalty killer. The 30-year-old plays a physical game and if acquired by the Blackhawks, doesn't even have to play every game. Those Chicago veterans on their way out didn't either.
The Blackhawks must bring in a veteran defenseman to stabilize the third defense pair and make it easier for prospects like Wyatt Kaiser, Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, Isaak Phillips, Louis Crevier to be eased in.
Cap space isn't an issue for Chicago and as of this moment, the Blackhawks are under the cap floor. Adding Ceci's $3.25 million AAV contract for its final year is do-able. But the only way this should happen is if the Blackhawks get a draft pick to take him. If this isn't a conversation, Chicago may find what it's looking for in free agency, but a veteran D-man should be brought in one way or another.
