The Edmonton Oilers are in a tight spot after receiving two offer sheets, and they might have to trade Cody Ceci and Brett Kulak to keep their roster intact.
The St. Louis Blues have put Oilers GM Stan Bowman in a difficult position by sending offer sheets for Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. The Oilers have less than five days to respond, and if Bowman wants to keep both players, he may be forced to trade Kulak or Ceci. Kulak is set to earn $2.75 million next season, while Ceci will be paid $3.25 million.
According to PostMedia's Bruce Garrioch, there's significant interest in both veterans from multiple teams, but the asking price is steep.
Most GMs know the Oilers are desperate, so they aren't willing to take on Ceci or Kulak unless Bowman includes a first or second-round draft pick. Unfortunately for the Oilers, they don't have those picks for the 2025 NHL Draft, meaning they might have to offer picks from 2026 or 2027 instead.
With time running out, Bowman will likely be working the phones all weekend, trying to find a solution before the deadline.