In a flurry of trades, the Edmonton Oilers made waves in the NHL community by sending defenseman Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Ty Emberson. This move comes hot on the heels of another trade that saw the Oilers acquire forward Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks, with a 2025 fourth-rounder heading the other way.
Ceci, a 30-year-old Ottawa native, has been with the Oilers for the past three seasons, tallying five goals and 20 assists for 25 points in 79 regular season games. His playoff performance was solid as well, notching two goals and five points in 25 Stanley Cup Playoff games as the Oilers made a deep run. Selected 15th overall by the Senators in the 2012 NHL Draft, Ceci has also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins before landing in Edmonton. With just one year left on his contract, Ceci is set to earn $3.25 million in the upcoming season.
On the other side of the trade, Emberson, a 24-year-old defenseman, had a respectable rookie season with one goal and nine assists for 10 points in 30 regular season games. With a modest $950,000 cap hit for the upcoming season, Emberson brings youth and potential to the Oilers’ defensive lineup.
The timing of these trades is crucial, as the Oilers face a deadline to match offer sheets from the St. Louis Blues for restricted free agents Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported that Edmonton is looking to clear cap space to potentially retain one or both of these young players. The offer to Broberg is a two-year deal worth $4,580,917 per year, while Holloway was offered a contract at $2,290,457 per year. If the Oilers choose not to match these offers, they would receive draft pick compensation from the Blues.
With uncertainty surrounding the futures of Broberg and Holloway, the Oilers’ acquisitions of Podkolzin and Emberson could prove to be crucial moves in shaping their roster for the upcoming season. Stay tuned as the Oilers navigate the offseason landscape in pursuit of their ultimate goal: hoisting the Stanley Cup.
