Probably going to want to add a pick to the Hayton deal, maybe our 2nd in this years draft or next, but overall decent job

Yea I assumed it would be a 2nd or 3rd too but I like Hayton a lot and can see it being worth it, would be a great middle 6 guy for us if Foegs prices himself out of EDM.

Yeah I think he is very underrated, kinda embarrassing to say now I really wanted the Oilers to take him if he fell to them at #10 at the draft but we took Bouchard sooooooo I guess I clowned my self lol

I think you need to improve the defense. There isn't much point in trading Ceci if you aren't getting an upgrade in his place. Desharnais isn't it.

100% we need to improve the defense but I dont see any FA's as big improvements besides 2 who probably wont come to Canada, Roy and Pesce.
I'd really hope a trade is done even at the draft for a RHD partner for Nurse but I think unfortunately it's another year of us going into it with the Dmen we have, only change I see happening is Broberg replacing one of Ceci or Kulak.

Reason I kept Desh is cause he's a cheap and effective, if he priced himself out (say like 2-2.5M) than I'd just keep Ceci.
Otherwise I'd hope for a trade to be done at the 2025 deadline for a top pairing RHD that includes one of Desh, Kulak or Broberg going the other way (whoever we see as most expendable at that point).

I just don't see the Oilers going into the season with a worse defense corps than they have now. Ceci is at least a legit top-4 defender, Dezzy isn't.

Trading Ceci out with no replacement top-4 RHD coming in would be a fireable offense. And I'd hate to see the new GM leave so quickly!

Teams in our situation normally go into the next season worse than they go into playoffs, one of my priorities with this particular ACGM is to have a lot of cap space so I moved Ceci.

Ceci isn't a centerpiece on this team to me, he is someone I see as moveable to free up space for a better player, if we can find a trade like that before the season I'd take it (within some scope, obvs I'm not paying to dump him).
If that means for 2-3 months starting the year we have a slightly worse D-Core but allows us to get significantly better going into playoffs I'm 100% fine with that.

There's a vast difference between expecting to get better at the deadline and actively making the team worse over the summer. I just don't get that at all.

And I've never suggested that Ceci is a "centerpiece" on this team. But you just don't trade players for the hell of it unless you have a better replacement lined up.

Essentially it is moving him or Kulak to free up space so you can take a larger step forward going into the 2025 playoffs at the 2025 TDL.
We saw this year how teams responded to cap going back in trades, it kneecapped us a bit and forced us into a situation where we didn't make defense upgrades this trade deadline, I would really want to avoid that next year if we can.
Maybe Ceci (Kulak) will be seen as an easier addition to some teams due to his contract expiring in 2025 (2026), but we don't know.

I didn't suggest you called him a centerpiece, I said I don't think he is one.
We have players to replace him in our current system, if they aren't as effective it's fine as we can fill that role easier at TDL 2025 due to our additional cap space.
EDM would still make playoffs running the Dmen I have above, our forward core is stronger as well and Skinner will have another year of experience.
At TDL 2025 we will have ~7M (with the movement of the other of Ceci/Kulak that wasnt traded in the offseason) for another top line RHD.

If you're hung up on Ceci being the one in the initial trade I proposed with ARI than I would just swap him and Kulak.

Sure that would make more sense, as Broberg is ready to step into Kulak's role, and the Oilers don't have anyone to step into Ceci's role. Desharnais hasn't shown top-4 ability.

Still I would like to see a Ceci out/ Montour in move (or similar) this summer. Cap Space doesn't score and sucks at defense - and you still need to win games prior to the deadline as the season is 80% over by then.

100% if we can get an upgrade in FA I would take it but as of right now our likelihood of signing someone better than Ceci/Kulak is low.
If one of Montour/Pesce/Roy/Carrier want to come here I would hope management makes the swing for them but 2 of those 4 already don't want to move to Canada (Roy/Pesce) and the other 2 (Montour/Carrier) are happy in the system they're in.
Otherwise the FA available are mid at best, I would maybe give an edge to DeMelo but I'd rather just keep Ceci over paying DeMelo 4-5M.

I would swap out Kulak for Ceci in the trade above though, ultimately I think both will be gone by next playoffs anyways it just depends at what point in the year we trade them.