Edmonton Oilers
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Caleb Kerney·Jul 24, 2024·Partner

Paul Coffey's Vibrant Support For Interesting Oilers' Defender

Paul Coffey has "all the time in the world" for Edmonton Oilers' defender Cody Ceci.

Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports - Paul Coffey's Vibrant Support For Interesting Oilers' DefenderBob Frid-USA TODAY Sports - Paul Coffey's Vibrant Support For Interesting Oilers' Defender

EDMONTON -- There is a lot of love for Cody Ceci.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EbeoHaMthE[/embed]

The Edmonton Oilers defender is often a scapegoat for fans and journalists. But in the locker room, he's incredibly well liked.

That's something that impacted their work at this past NHL trade deadline. Elliotte Friedman had reported that they were considering "subtractions." Friedman at the time said, "I think some players had indicated they preferred to keep Ceci around."

According to a new report from the Edmonton Journal yesterday, Paul Coffey likes Ceci as well. 

Coffey told the Edmonton Journal, "I have all the time in the world for Cody Ceci. He trusts me, I trust him. You saw that pass in Game seven. He wouldn't have made that play before, but he had the confidence to do that. Same with shooting the puck. You saw that in the Vancouver series. These guys are NHL players, the best of the best. They're here for a reason."

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08cD69IC1tI[/embed]

Ceci has been an above average player in certain situations. The combination of Ceci with Darnell Nurse has worn out its welcome. 

In the playoffs Ceci found himself on the third pairing with Brett Kulak. Unfortunately for the maligned defender, when he makes a mistake it's often a big one.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJWDpi--xCk[/embed]

Oilers fans will need to wait until training camp to see what the line combinations will be. If the team retains the services of Ceci, expect him to be deployed differently than last year. If that doesn't happen, expect him (or Nurse) to play a bit differently in order to be a more effective pairing.

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