Winners & Losers From The Cody Ceci Trade
As the Edmonton Oilers dig through the couch cushions to find any money in an attempt to find money to match offer sheets, they traded defenseman Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Ty Emberson.
Who are the big winners and losers from the trade?
Winner: Ty Emberson
Anytime you can go from the worst team in the NHL to one of the better teams in the NHL, that's probably a win. Emberson performed well on a bad team last season and was thought to be found money for Mike Grier and the San Jose Sharks after claiming him off of waivers last season from the New York Rangers.
Emberson should plug right in for the Oilers and play a solid role for them because he is a) good at hockey and b) a cheap contract for a team that is expected to play cap gymnastics all season.
For Emberson, a chance to play winning hockey night in and night out will be refreshing after last season. If Emberson can be a positive player, he could set himself up for a solid contract next season.
If Emberson plays 50 or more games, he will be an RFA; if not, he will become an unrestricted free agent and can sign wherever he pleases.
Loser: Shakir Mukhamadullin
Shakir Mukhamadullin is entering training camp battling for an NHL roster spot. With the addition of an established NHL player, Cody Ceci, Mukhamadullin's job became harder.
The Sharks will most likely carry seven defensemen this season, and they now have six players who are veteran defensemen:
Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Jake Walman
Mario Ferraro
Cody Ceci
Jan Rutta
Matt Benning
That leaves Henry Thurn and Shakir Mukhamadullin fighting for the last spot. If it's close, Mukahamadullin feels like the one to return to the San Jose Barracuda, where he can play big minutes and await his opportunity. Thrun has already built more sweat equity with the Sharks and was rewarded with a two-year $2 million deal this offseason.
Mukhamadullin will play NHL games this season, but the path to being an opening night player got tougher.
Winner: Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers help solve some of their cap issues as they try to decide the future of Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. The Darnell Nurse-Cody Ceci pairing struggled in the playoffs, and with Nurse's contract, Ceci's contract was easier to move.
While the Oilers are now missing a known quantity in Ceci, Emberson should be able to help out more defensively and has a chance to continue to improve.
Loser: People Who Complain About Trading Third-Round Picks
We, as a fanbase and community, worry too much about picks. We overvalue them because we think our general manager and team will find the next Joe Pavelski.
The truth is teams can generate midround picks easily.
Grier has plenty of players who should generate picks this trade deadline, and getting top-end picks (like an unprotected Vegas Golden Knights pick) is more valuable than hanging onto mid-round picks. If you have to spend a little to get something much better, you should do it.