Report: Oilers exploring Ceci, Kulak trades to clear cap space for offer sheets
Published
The Edmonton Oilers are exploring the possibility of moving defencemen Cody Ceci and Brett Kulak to help clear cap space, Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch reports.
The Oilers are searching for space to fit Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway under the cap after the two restricted free agents signed offer sheets with the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
Edmonton was already $350,000 over the cap before Broberg inked a two-year offer the Blues at $4,580,917 per year and Holloway signed at an average annual value of $2,290,457 on his two-year offer sheet.
Under the public eye and seven-day countdown from Tuesday to match the offer sheets, Garrioch reports interested teams have a set a high price on taking back a contract from the Oilers. He notes the price to move either Ceci's $3.25 million cap hit or Kulak's $2.75 million salary could be a first- or second-round pick as teams feel they have the Oilers front office cornered.
The Oilers could receive $5.125 million if forward Evander Kane is placed on long-term injured reserve, though that would prove to be only a short-term solution if Kane returns during the campaign. TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported earlier this week that he believes surgery is the most likely course of action for Kane, who is not likely to be ready for training camp and could be out several months.
Ceci is entering the last year of his deal and is coming off posting five goals and 25 points in 79 games last season. He added two goals and five points in 24 games during Edmonton's run to the Stanley Cup Final. The 30-year-old blueliner averaged 20:01 of ice time in the regular season and 19:21 in the postseason, which was the third-highest mark among defencemen.
Kulak is under contract through the 2025-26 and posted three goals and 16 points in 82 games last season, his third with the Oilers. Also 30, Kulak had one goal and eight points in 25 playoff games while averaging 16:29 of ice time.
St. Louis also paid a price in order to complete to dual offer sheets, completing a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins just before inking the deals Tuesday to re-acquire their own 2025 second-round pick. The Blues acquired the second-rounder and a 2026 fifth-rounder, sending a 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick (the Ottawa Senators' selection) to Pittsburgh.
If the Oilers elect not to match the offer sheets, the team will receive a second-round pick back for Broberg and a third-round pick back for Holloway.
Broberg was involved in trade rumours earlier this year after being demoted to the AHL, but returned to the Oilers roster to contribute in the playoffs. The 23-year-old blueliner had two assists in 12 games with Edmonton during the regular season and posted two goals and an assist in 10 games during the postseason, playing in all seven games during the Stanley Cup Final. He carried a cap hit of $863,334 last season.
Holloway also split time between the Oilers and AHL's Bakersfield Condors this past season, posting six goals and nine points in 38 games with the NHL club.
The 22-year-old forward appeared in all 25 games during the postseason, posting five goals and two assists. Selected 14th overall by Edmonton in the 2020 draft, Holloway is coming off his entry-level contract.