Edmonton Oilers faced with tough decision to separate Leon Draisaitl from his best friend

It was revealed that Ceci and Draisaitl are best friends and during last year's trade deadline, Draisaitl used his influence to help block a trade of Ceci out of the organization. It was also mentioned that the players had the backing of this decision by Draisaitl to keep Ceci with the team.

This, along with the two offer sheets that were filed several days ago has put Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson and general manager Stan Bowman in a precarious position. According to Puck Pedia, the Oilers are currently $7.2 million over the cap if they were to retain both Broberg and Holloway. It's unknown at this time which way Bowman and Jackson will go and whether they will keep one of their players or let them both go.

It will come down to who the Oilers value more and with Ceci holding a $3.2 million cap hit this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, it would be wise for the Oilers to retain their young players and trade Ceci no matter how strong the friendship is with Draisiatl. The upside on Broberg alone would surpass what Ceci brings to the table.

Would trading Ceci jeopardize the re signing of Draisaitl to a contract extension? I doubt that would be the case as he appears to be ready to sign his deal and continued to be a cornerstone of this franchise.

It's likely the Oilers will need to make further moves to make the roster fit under the cap. But one thing is clear, this is a business, and the Oilers will need to put the team first before before hurting any friendships that one may have.

Source: Puck Pedia