Insider suggests uncertainty around Cody Ceci's future with the San Jose Sharks

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Finnegan Frost
November 2, 2024 (5:56)

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Former Edmonton Oilers defenceman Cody Ceci joined forces with a re-building San Jose Sharks team during the 2024 offseason, and he's been playing some massive minutes for the team so far.

After the Edmonton Oilers made it all the way to game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup, it became obvious that management wouldn't be able to keep the same roster intact. The Oilers had a fairly tight salary cap to navigate during the NHL offseason, and unfortunately, the team had to part ways with fan favourite Cody Ceci in exchange for Ty Emberson.

With that being said, Cody Ceci has been playing some heavy minutes for the San Jose Sharks. Ceci has been averaging roughly 22-23 minutes of ice-time per game and has had a strong impression on Sharks GM Mike Grier so far. Despite only having 2 assists and a -4 rating on the ice, those numbers aren't exactly terrible when analyzing the Sharks metrics and overall roster.

The latest reports from Oilers Insider Jim Matheson suggest that GM Mike Grier could be inclined to re-sign Cody Ceci to a contract extension, but the notion of Cody being stuck on a re-building team could potentially turn him off from future considerations. Matheson suggests that Ceci's likely outcome will be a deadline trade as a rental, and then hitting free agency as a UFA on July 1st.

With that in mind, the idea of Cody Ceci becoming available as a UFA has sparked an interesting conversation in Oil Country. According to Puckpedia, Cody Ceci is signed to a 4 year, $13,000,000 contract with a cap hit of $3,250,000 per season. His contract was signed on Jul 28 2021, and expires at the end of the 2024-25 season, when Ceci will be 31 years old. If Cody Ceci has the desire to return to the Edmonton Oilers upon free agency, would the Oilers potentially be inclined to re-sign him?

It's no secret that the Edmonton Oilers have gotten off to a less than ideal start so far to start the 2024-25 campaign. The team has been named Stanley Cup favourites, but have yet to break the .500 mark - struggling to gain any momentum whatsoever. Fans have voiced their overall concern, stating that the chemistry on the team has been aggressively shaken up over the offseason.

Cody Ceci was a beloved member of the Oilers locker room and his departure from the team has been increasingly noticeable. Although his analytics during his tenure with the Oilers weren't exactly Norris Trophy worthy, there's something to be said about his overall contributions to the Oilers Stanley Cup recipe.

Do you think the Oilers should bring back Cody Ceci? Let us know in the poll down below and stay tuned to Oilers Insider for the latest news and updates from around the hockey world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite players and teams.