Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks reportedly discussed a potential deal involving defenseman Cody Ceci.
The San Jose Sharks were close to trading defenseman Cody Ceci, a pending unrestricted free agent, to the Vancouver Canucks before ultimately sending him and Mikael Granlund to the Dallas Stars over the weekend. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported Tuesday that Ceci was considered a backup option for Vancouver if their blockbuster trade plans fell through.
The Canucks had finalized a major deal Friday, sending J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers and using the first-round pick they received to acquire Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor from the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, discussions about Ceci had progressed to the point where some within the Sharks organization believed he was heading to Vancouver earlier in the day, according to Pagnotta.
Despite landing Pettersson, the Canucks are still looking to strengthen their defense, particularly on the right side. Ceci, now in Dallas, fit that need, and Vancouver is rumored to be exploring options to offload left-handed defenseman Carson Soucy. Soucy has been playing on his off side, but the Canucks may prefer a more cost-effective solution behind Filip Hronek and Tyler Myers.
With over $12 million in immediate cap space, Vancouver is looking to maximize flexibility for contract extensions with key players like Brock Boeser, Pius Suter, and Kevin Lankinen. Soucy, who has one year left on his contract with a $3.25 million cap hit, might be moved to free up room.
Another potential target for the Canucks is Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard. Savard carries a slightly higher $3.5 million cap hit but is on an expiring deal. With salary retention, he could fit Vancouver’s plans, though they’d need to act quickly. Montreal may want to flip Savard before the trade deadline to make room for younger players like Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher, who are pushing for NHL roles next season.
Image Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images