Cody Ceci or Ryan McLeod heading to Edmonton Oilers? NHL insider dives into Oilers’ free agent haul

Article Contents

This is TSN’s Darren Dreger, his assessment of Edmonton’s big day in terms of free agency and salary cap issues.

Article Contents

“The Edmonton Oilers are over the cap, and that’s something they can address. Take Ceci out or McLeod out or who knows what happens with Evander Kane. But without a general manager, Jeff Jackson made some moves and added some things as well.”

Edmonton has signed unrestricted free agents Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, Adam Henrique, Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark, but it is now expected to cost $2.5 million more than the $88 million cap hit. Restricted free agents Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway have yet to be signed, but the remainder of the summer should resolve the issue.

Dreger said Jeff Skinner’s final decision depended largely on the Leafs and the Oilers.

Hockey analyst Ray Ferraro added on their Ray & Dregs podcast: “A lot of teams were interested when (Skinner) became available… I think he’s going to have a good year. He’s never been in the playoffs. Never. That’s remarkable. He’s an in-and-out player. When he’s in, or on, he’s a really dangerous player. He’s going to be in a position to play with a pretty great player here, and you have one year… I thought that was a really good piece that maybe got a little bit overshadowed by the number of players that signed.”

Article Contents

Dreger said Arvidsson was a “nice addition” and that Winnipeg offered Henrique $3.5 million a year for two years, and that Tampa’s Jon Cooper also tried to recruit him, as did St. Louis.

Ferraro added: “If Arvidsson can stay healthy. He’s had some back issues that have really limited him. But if the guy can stay healthy, he can really score. He can shoot and he can score. There’s no question that the team that went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final is better than they were before. Josh Brown will replace (Vincent Desharnais). He’s not a particularly fluid player, but he’s tough… I thought Edmonton had a good day.”

Dreger said Corey Perry was an “odd acquisition” for the Oilers, but the Oilers saw enough in him to bring him back.

Article Contents

“Overall, I thought Jeff Jackson had a solid, pretty productive day,” Dreger said.

Ferraro agreed, noting that Edmonton had no cap space. “They have to hope that the guys that they have and that they know will do a deal, a short-term deal, for money that they (the Oilers) can afford, and that’s what happened with Brown and Janmark. I think those players are so valuable because they can fill a couple of different spots for you and they don’t have a big ego, so they don’t need a lot of minutes.”

My opinion

1. McLeod has speed and is good on the wing. He scored a couple of big goals in the playoffs, but he was generally mediocre in terms of his two-way play. He was solid on the PK and had a decent season. He can be a solid NHL player if he can step up his combat level and focus on completely shutting down the opposing offense. If he can become a reliable third-line center, he will have a long NHL career, but he has yet to pass that audition in Edmonton. He is only 24 years old and is only making $2.1 million. I can imagine a lot of NHL teams would be willing to take his contract, with the Oilers scoring a draft pick in return.

Article Contents

2. Cody Ceci played well in the playoffs, but only when he wasn’t paired with Darnell Nurse, who suffered the biggest defensive slump of his career in May and June. Ceci, however, played well with Brett Kulak. He’s a reliable right-wing shooter, only 30 years old, and has one year left on his contract at $3.25 million. Can the Oilers get him out without swallowing some sort of poisoned pill, like trading a draft pick? I think so, but my estimation of Ceci may be higher than others think. Of course, with our Cult of Hockey video analysis project, I watch Ceci more closely than most, seeing him through different eyes, primarily by repeatedly reviewing all of his key plays on the ice. I would suggest that when paired with a puck-moving d-man who is solid on defense, Ceci can still get the job done in a second-pairing role. He and Kulak had little trouble in the heat of playoff competition.

3. If it turns out the Oilers can keep McLeod and/or Ceci, Edmonton will be a better team. Both players can help Edmonton win games.

Article Contents