Oilers Trade Cody Ceci, Pick for Ty Emberson
The Edmonton Oilers have traded defenseman Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Ty Emberson. The deal was initially reported by Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, who adds that no salary cap was retained. Spector mentions that moving Ceci’s $3.25MM cap hit could give Edmonton enough space to retain defenseman Philip Broberg while forward Dylan Holloway could be headed to the St. Louis Blues. Both players recently signed two-year offer sheets with the Blues – Broberg’s totaling $9.16MM in salary and Holloway’s totaling $4.58MM.
The two restricted free agents are in similar spots in their careers – yet to vindicate their first-round precedent, though still carving out routine roles in Edmonton’s lineup. They were utilized similarly, averaging roughly 11:30 in ice time this season, though Holloway played 38 games to Broberg’s 12. Retaining both players would cost the Oilers $6.87MM in cap hit – a tough bill to pay for an Oilers team that was already $8.225MM over the cap ceiling. It seems the team is opting to hold onto the defenseman, though it will cost them near-800-game veteran Cody Ceci.
Despite routinely receiving criticism, Ceci was an anchor of Edmonton’s top-four last season, averaging 20 minutes of total ice time and more penalty-kill time than any other Oiler. He ended the year with five goals and 25 points in 79 games this season, adding five points in 24 playoff games – where he notoriously partnered with Darnell Nurse for some of the best and worst moments of the postseason. After three years in Edmonton, Ceci will move to his fifth NHL franchise in this trade. He’ll seemingly – and perhaps surprisingly – become San Jose’s top right defenseman, joining a room occupied by Jan Rutta and Matt Benning. He’ll be the second-most experienced on the blue-line, though leader Marc-Edouard Vlasic – who’s just four games shy of 1,300 career games, though he became a routine healthy scratch last season.
Ceci’s departure opens a big hole in the Oilers’ blue line, which could finally yield the opportunity that Broberg’s been waiting for. He’s only averaged 12:42 in ice time through 81 career games and hasn’t played over 19 minutes in a single game since November of 2021. Broberg has yielded 13 career points in the limited role, though stepping into top-four minutes could be enough to kick the former top-10 pick into high gear.
That could cost them winger Holloway, who’s scored 18 career points – and added seven in 25 games this postseason. Holloway was drafted 14th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, selected after a strong freshman year at the University of Wisconsin, where he totaled 52 points in 58 games over two years in Wisconsin before turning pro in 2021. He has since bounced between the NHL and AHL lineups, showing flashes of promise as a hefty play-driver but never finding his spark. His 6-foot-1, 206-pound frame is just 10 pounds heavier than winger Vasily Podkolzin, who Edmonton acquired for a 2025 third-round pick earlier today. Podkolzin fits into the same conversation as Holloway and Broberg – a former top draft pick struggling to show what he can do at the top level. The size similarities and Podkolzin’s cheap $1MM cap hit seem to back the idea that Holloway could be headed to St. Louis – though nothing is official yet.
Regardless of their decision with Broberg and Holloway, Edmonton emerges from this swap with young defender Ty Emberson, who played through his first 30 NHL games last season, scoring 10 points and showing value as a shutdown defender on a struggling San Jose roster. But a lower-body laceration suffered in February cut Emberson’s rookie year short, leaving Sharks fans guessing where his upside might fall.
Multiple teams have shown interest in Emberson at one point. He was initially drafted by the Arizona Coyotes ahead of a three-year tenure at the University of Wisconsin, where he managed 34 points in 101 games. Emberson turned pro with the Tuscon Roadrunners in 2020, getting a taste of tougher competition before a 2022 trade to the New York Rangers in exchange for Patrick Nemeth and draft picks in 2025 and 2026. New York signed Emberson to a one-year, league-minimum contract but placed him on waivers two months later. San Jose placed a claim as the fourth team on the priority list, ultimately pushing Emberson into his first NHL role. He’ll now move to Edmonton with the chance for even more growth as he battles Broberg and Nurse for ice time on the right-hand side.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Snapshots: Celebrini, Ovechkin, Avalanche
The San Jose Sharks are eagerly anticipating first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, emphasized by new head coach Ryan Warsofsky, who told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com that he’s expecting Celebrini to drive the lineup. Warsofsky said, “He’s so driven. I think at times we’re going to have to reel him back just because he wants to go, go, go, but he’s a super competitive, self-driven young person, which you don’t see a lot this day and age. That’s what impressed me the most.”
There’s certainly plenty of opportunity available in San Jose. The Sharks couldn’t make it to 20 wins last season, largely thanks to their 2.20 goals-per-game – the second-lowest in the NHL since 2017, behind the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2.17 average last season. San Jose has since parted with Tomas Hertl, Anthony Duclair, Filip Zadina, and Mike Hoffman – four of their top seven scorers from last season. They’ve been replaced by new signees Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg, as well as team captain Logan Couture, who’s expected to return from injury soon, and fellow rookie Will Smith. But those additions pale in comparison to Celebrini, who’s coming off a collegiate season that made him the youngest Hobey Baker Trophy winner in NCAA history – one year after winning the USHL MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. He’s a driven and impressive playmaker who seems poised for quick success. The Sharks will look to lean into that momentum by putting Celebrini into an immediate premier role in the lineup.
Other quick notes around the league:
- Superstar Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin is planning to return to the United States in early September to prepare for his 20th NHL season, agent Gleb Chistyakov shared with MatchTV. Some Capitals have already returned to practices with their teammates, shares Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, though those skates remain informal. Ovechkin has stayed on the ice this summer, participating in a variety of event skates including a recent NHL vs KHL event that pitted Russia’s top pros against a menagerie of NHL stars. He’ll transition back into pro-mode soon, looking to continue his chase for Wayne Gretzky‘s goal-scoring record into its second decade. Ovechkin currently sits 42 goals back from the record – a mark he’s reached in 13 different seasons, including in two of the last three years.
- The Colorado Avalanche are still working to round out their lineup amid a cap crunch, which could lead the team to take advantage of professional try-outs as September rolls around. Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now posited four different options for a PTO, notably including former Ottawa Senators winger Dominik Kubalik. Rawal shared that Colorado frequently scouted Ottawa’s games last season and could be drawn to Kubalik’s scoring upside. The 28-year-old winger took a hard fall last season, netting just 11 goals and 15 points in 74 games – after scoring at least 30 points in his previous four NHL seasons. His rookie season in 2019-20 still stands as Kubalik’s career year, marked by 30 goals and 46 points in 68 games. He could rediscover that spark in Colorado, though he’ll first have to negotiate a PTO and win out a roster spot – both uphill battles.
Snapshots: Team Canada, Pacioretty, Marushev
True best-on-best men’s hockey is only about six months away from making its return at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The countries participating have already named their first six roster players for the event, with Canada already confirming they’ll be taking Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, Brayden Point and Brad Marchand.
But there are still many roster decisions still to be made, especially for the league’s most common nationality. To that end, Luke Fox of Sportsnet listed some dark-horse youngsters that could challenge for spots. Most of them would be repping the senior team for the first time, although a few have World Championship experience.
Look for Quinton Byfield, Alexis Lafrenière and Mason McTavish to get outside consideration for bottom-six roles, Fox opines, while Thomas Harley and Owen Power will push to find spots on the blue line. But the biggest question mark at any international event for the Canadians recently has been goaltending, and that won’t change for the February tournament.
As such, look for Blues backup Joel Hofer to push for a spot on the final roster, Fox says. The 24-year-old finished 11th in Calder Trophy voting last season after posting a 15-12-1 record, .913 SV% and 2.65 GAA in 27 starts and three relief appearances behind Jordan Binnington in St. Louis.
Other tidbits from around the league:
- If the Sharks aren’t content with the veteran pickups they’ve made so far this offseason, they should approach free-agent winger Max Pacioretty about attending training camp on a PTO, opines Max Miller of The Hockey News. San Jose was busy insulating rookies Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith this summer, adding Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg in free agency and claiming Barclay Goodrow off waivers from the Rangers. But the club could still have a bit of a competition brewing for roster spots up front, especially if captain Logan Couture isn’t healthy enough to return to play after osteitis pubis cost him nearly all of 2023-24. Pacioretty has played just 91 games combined over the past three seasons due to multiple Achilles tendon tears, and the 35-year-old had just four goals in 47 games with the Capitals last year.
- Former Golden Knights prospect Maxim Marushev is on the move in his native Russia, dropping down from the KHL to the VHL with Metallurg Novokuznetsk for 2024-25 (per a team announcement). Marushev, now 25, was a seventh-round pick of the Golden Knights in 2020. He played parts of three seasons for their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, recording 13 goals and 24 assists for 37 points in 125 games. Upon the expiry of his entry-level contract in 2023, he wasn’t issued a qualifying offer and returned home. However, he managed just one point in 28 KHL games last year, split between Chelyabinsk and Novosibirsk.
AHL’s San Jose Barracuda Sign Colin White
The Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, has signed UFA center Colin White to a one-year contract, according to a team press release.
White, a former first-round pick of the Senators who was bought out by Ottawa in 2022, signed a two-way deal with the Penguins last October after attending training camp on a PTO. He was immediately waived and assigned to the AHL for the first time since 2018.
The 27-year-old embarked on a mediocre run with the Penguins’ affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, posting 10 points (5 G, 5 A) in 21 games before Pittsburgh called him up in January. White played 11 games with the Penguins after the call-up but failed to record a point and logged a -2 rating while averaging just 9:57 per game.
White was waived again in late February and claimed by the Canadiens. It was more of the same in Montreal, where he had no points, a -3 rating and averaged just 9:15 per game through 17 appearances. He also struggled immensely in the faceoff dot, winning just 36 of 108 draws (33.3%).
It was no surprise to see White not retained by the Habs, and it’s not too surprising he’s had to settle for a minor-league contract after a difficult run. Since getting bought out by the Sens, White has just eight goals and 15 points in 96 games over the past two years with the Canadiens, Panthers and Penguins. It’s a far cry from the 14 goals, 27 assists and 41 points he scored in 71 games during his rookie campaign with Ottawa in 2018-19, which earned him an ill-fated six-year, $28.5MM contract marred by injuries and declining play.
While White will suit up with the Sharks’ prospects and depth veterans this fall, he can sign with any NHL team should he attract interest. A strong run of play from the No. 21 overall pick in 2015 could land him an NHL deal at some point during the season, but he’d have to clear waivers to return to the minors after doing so. He’ll also likely receive a training camp invite from the Sharks, who could opt to sign him to a two-way contract.
Will Smith Has To Earn His Spot In The Lineup
- In an interview with Chelena Goldman of the NHL, San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith not only has his eyes set on making the lineup out of training camp in September, but also being a huge contributor to the team. Smith is coming off a dominant season in the NCAA with Boston College in which he led the nation in scoring with 25 goals and 71 points in 41 games. Next to number one overall pick Macklin Celebrini, the two are early favorites to land in the top three of Calder Trophy voting next year. General manager Mike Grier does not want Will to assume he’s already been given a spot on the roster, however, as he said, “These older guys aren’t going to be in any rush to give their spots away to a young guy. It should make for a pretty competitive camp. May the best man win“.
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Analyzing San Jose’s Options For Third String Goalie
In the most recent episode of the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, Sheng Peng was joined by the assistant general manager of the San Jose Sharks, Joe Will. One of the topics of conversation was the Sharks’ current pursuit of a third-strong netminder and the qualifications desired for that role.
In the interview, Will said, “That No. 3 goaltender, somebody that we would be looking at, would have more of a prospect flavor to them. Probably a little bit younger and you could grow with for a little while, as opposed to somebody maybe for one year“.
There are limited options available to San Jose in free agency as the top netminder left available appears to be Kevin Lankinen. Lankinen, 29, just put together two solid seasons of backup work with the Nashville Predators and likely won’t be thrilled with a third-string role. Lankinen is no longer considered a prospect at his age and does not fit the qualifications for what San Jose is looking for.
The Sharks will likely need to attack the trade market to find what they seek. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers could be intriguing trade partners for San Jose.
Unless a buyout is on the horizon in Columbus, the team is likely stuck with Elvis Merzlikins as one of their goaltenders while Daniil Tarasov eventually assumes the starting role. The Sharks could target netminder Jet Greaves who has primarily played with their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.
Over the last four years with the Monsters, Greaves has appeared in 118 games while posting a 61-40-12 record with a .905 save percentage and 2.96 goals against average. Greaves could be part of a bigger trade package including winger Patrik Laine, especially if the Sharks are willing to take on his full $8.7MM over the next two years.
In a similar situation, the Sharks could help Florida by taking back a bloated salary. Spencer Knight, the former 13th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, spent all of last season with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL while posting a .905 SV% in 45 games. Knight is poised to play a backup role for the defending Stanley Cup Champions this year but has a salary of $4.5MM for the next two years.
Florida should be able to procure a cheaper option for their backup netminder which grants them plenty of cap flexibility for in-season additions. Knight could then comfortably grow in the Sharks organization with his eyes set on the starting role.
Poll: Who Is The Early Favorite For The 2025 Calder Trophy?
The hockey world is in for a treat with the 2024-25 rookie class. A long list of top prospects seem destined for NHL roles, including former high-end draft picks and controversial prospects. Their pursuit of meaningful NHL ice time will be undercut by what’s sure to be an exciting race for the 2025 Calder Trophy. The NHL’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ award stands as perhaps the most coveted and exclusive award in the league, having previously gone to franchise-defining talents like Connor Bedard this year, Kirill Kaprizov in 2021, and Cale Makar in 2020. With such a star-studded cast of contenders this year, the winner may have to reach the heights of that trio to win over voters.
That could prove an easy feat for the pair of Macklin Celebrini and Matvei Michkov – likely the leading favorites as things currently stand. Celebrini was the first overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft and is coming off a dazzling junior hockey career. After winning both the USHL’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ and ‘Most Valuable Player’ awards as a 16-year-old in 2022-23, Celebrini became the youngest player to ever win the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player this season. His prowess is undeniable. He’s a defiantly special playmaker, with all of the tools needed to match top speeds. Celebrini is set for a top-line role with the San Jose Sharks, while Michkov will fight for the same recognition from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Michkov is making the jump to the NHL a year earlier than expected, after being released from his contract with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg this summer. He makes the move to North America after proudly leading HK Sochi. Despite playing on a farm club to SKA, Michkov has still managed 61 points in 77 KHL games over the last two seasons. His 41 points in 47 games this year marked the most of any U20 KHL skater since Kaprizov, the record holder, potted 42 points in 49 games in 2017. Where Celebrini is a quick-thinking and quicker-moving playmaker, Michkov is an all-skill scorer, capable of using a mix of incredibly agile skating, great stickhandling, and a knockout shot to embarrass opponents in the offensive end. The sky is the limit for the Russian phenom, who should finally receive proper support after spending the last two seasons on muddling rosters.
Celebrini and Michkov will be challenged for their spot by a long list of high-end forwards, including Will Smith – who could find himself playing second-fiddle to Celebrini in San Jose. Anaheim Ducks center Cutter Gauthier could also break into the conversation – undermining yet another boost to the Flyers’ prospect pool. But of the many contenders, it’s the dynamic duo of Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque who seem most overlooked in early Calder talks.
Stankoven was a lightning bolt in his first taste of the NHL. The first-year pro fought his way to an NHL call-up with a then-league-leading 57 points in his first 47 AHL games. The scoring didn’t stop in Dallas, as Stankoven proceeded to score 14 points in 24 games – the highest scoring pace (0.58) of any first-year Star since Jason Robertson in 2021 (0.88) and John Klingberg in 2015 (0.58). Stankoven was just one game shy of losing rookie eligibility when Dallas’ season ended, though he was quickly slotted back into the lineup during the playoffs – which don’t count against Calder Trophy eligibility. He continued to hone his game in the race for the Stanley Cup, netting eight points in 19 games and earning a routine role in Dallas’ middle-six.
If not Stankoven, then it’ll be his electric centerman Bourque who wins the title for Dallas. The two forwards were unstoppable with the AHL’s Texas Stars last season, playing with a pace and chemistry that opponents simply couldn’t keep up with. Bourque stayed red-hot even after Stankoven’s call-up, ultimately leading the AHL in scoring with 77 points in 71 games and earning the Les Cunningham Award as the league’s MVP. That was despite last season being just the second pro year of Bourque’s career. He was impressive, and found a way to score consistently despite his oft-criticized frame.
Even with all of the acclaim of the aforementioned forwards, the award could still find its way to other hands. Shakir Mukhamadullin in San Jose, Lane Hutson in Montreal, and Olen Zellweger in Anaheim are all prime candidates from the blue-line, while Dustin Wolf in Calgary and Yaroslav Askarov in Nashville stand as favorites in net – though the latter will have to fight his way above Juuse Saros. It seems the Calder Trophy debate could go in one of countless directions when the first puck is finally dropped – but who do you think will win out? Will it be dazzling star prospects Celebrini or Michkov? Will defensive supports overtake the top scorers? Or will a player like Brad Lambert subvert everyone’s expectations? Let us know by voting in the poll below and discussing in the comments!
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Sasha Chmelevski Still Intends To Return To NHL
- Speaking with Sport-Express’ Ivan Bohun, Sharks RFA forward Sasha Chmelevski indicated that he still intends to return to the NHL despite signing a three-year extension with Salavat Yulaev in late April. The 25-year-old has 24 career NHL appearances under his belt where he has 10 assists but he elected to return home where he has been quite productive. Last season, Chmelevski picked up 27 goals and 29 assists in 67 games, leading to some speculation that San Jose might be able to trade his rights. Chmelevski thinks a trade could have been an option but clearly, one never materialized. Once this contract ends in 2027, Chmelevski will be 28 and an unrestricted free agent and it appears that will be when he attempts to return to North America.
Pacific Notes: Chernyshov, Pettersson, Holtz, Barr
Sharks 2024 second-round pick Igor Chernyshov has officially found a place to play this season. As he said was likely the case last week, he’s inked a scholarship and development agreement with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League, per the club.
The 33rd overall pick in June was originally supposed to remain in his native Russia next season. He had one year left on his contract with Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League, but he bought himself out of the deal last week and subsequently signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks.
Chernyshov, 18, will attend training camp for a brief period in San Jose before being returned to Saginaw, likely for the entire 2024-25 campaign. Doing so will slide the beginning of his entry-level contract to 2025-26.
The 6’3″, 203-lb winger had three goals and one assist for four points in 34 KHL games last season. He was much more productive in the junior ranks, posting 28 points (13 G, 15 A) in 22 games with MHK Dynamo Moscow.
More out of the Pacific Division:
- When Chernyshov’s move to Saginaw was announced this morning, there was a brief thought that Ducks 2024 second-rounder Lucas Pettersson might join him in Michigan. That won’t be the case, however. Sources told Max Miller of The Hockey News and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic that he’ll remain in his native Sweden after being selected by the Spirit in the CHL Import Draft. Pettersson, 18, was selected two picks after Chernyshov in June. He’ll likely get some action in the pros with MoDo Hockey of the Swedish Hockey League, but could still spend a solid chunk of 2024-25 with their junior team. The 5’11” center was one of the Swedish junior circuit’s leading scorers last season, posting 57 points (27 goals, 30 assists) in 44 games for MoDo’s U-20 club.
- The Golden Knights bought low on 2020 seventh-overall pick Alexander Holtz this summer, only parting ways with depth forward Paul Cotter and a 2025 third-rounder to acquire him and Akira Schmid from the Devils. Speaking to reporters, Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Holtz was “a player we had tremendous regard for as an amateur. We’re taking a swing at his upside and what a change can do sometimes for young players” (via James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now). McCrimmon thinks Holtz has “untapped potential that we feel we can unlock here to some degree with the opportunity,” he added. With Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson among the key departures from Vegas’ forward group this summer, Holtz will be relied upon as a top-nine scoring option for the Knights in 2024-25 with the potential to challenge for top-six minutes. The 22-year-old had 28 points in 82 games in New Jersey last year.
- The Ducks have added to their minor-league coaching staff, hiring Dave Barr as an assistant for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, per a team release. Barr, 63, spent last season as an assistant with the Chicago Wolves during their one year of operating independently of an NHL affiliation. He has 12 years of experience as an assistant at the game’s highest level, spending time on benches for the Avalanche, Wild, Devils, Sabres, Panthers and Sharks from 2008 to 2020. Before joining the Wolves last season, he spent two years as the head coach of the Vienna Capitals in Austria’s ICEHL.
Snapshots: Blackhawks, Pavelski, Skarek, Mersch
After a very active free agent period that saw them bring in several veterans in an effort to become more competitive next season, it appears as if the Blackhawks are finished with trying to land at the bottom of the standings. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times suggests that they’re taking a risk in doing so since they haven’t landed a second high-end forward prospect to partner up with Connor Bedard down the road. Chicago has ample defensive depth and some quality goalie prospects but among their forward prospects, there aren’t any who project as high-end top-line talent (someone like Frank Nazar could get there in time but the safer planning would be with him in a second-line role). Having said that, the Blackhawks will have ample cap space moving forward so if they don’t draft a running mate for Bedard, they could try to land one in free agency down the road.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Former Sharks GM Doug Wilson acknowledged to Sheng Peng of NBC Sports Bay Area that he made a mistake in not retaining Joe Pavelski back in 2019. The veteran forward was coming off a strong year that saw him put up 38 goals but he had dealt with injuries the two years before that while they also committed big money to retain Evander Kane and Erik Karlsson, not leaving enough for them to pay market value for Pavelski’s services. He went on to play five seasons in Dallas before calling it a career earlier this offseason.
- Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News assesses the goaltending depth of the Islanders and suggests that Jakub Skarek’s time with the organization could be coming to an end. Marcus Hogberg is expected to serve as the starter with AHL Bridgeport while Henrik Tikkanen greatly outperformed Skarek last season and should serve as Hogberg’s backup. Skarek has one year left on his deal so it’s possible that New York will look to flip the 24-year-old to a team looking for extra goalie depth. If that fails, Rosner wonders if the two sides would consider a mutual contract termination which would allow him to try to catch on overseas.
- Veteran free agent winger Michael Mersch is considering retirement, relays Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. The 31-year-old had been a staple for Buffalo’s AHL team in Rochester the past four seasons and is coming off a 15-goal, 38-point showing in 66 games in 2023-24. Mersch has 17 career NHL appearances under his belt, all with Los Angeles back in the 2015-16 campaign.