Cody Ceci, the former first-round pick that played alongside Dion Phaneuf in Ottawa last season, has reportedly been offered both short- and long-term contract extensions by GM Pierre Dorion, per the Sun.
Ceci, the 15th overall pick in ’12, just wrapped the last of his three-year entry deal and will be a restricted free agent on July 1. The 22-year-old defenseman was a bright spot for Ottawa last season -- scoring a career-high 10 goals and 26 points -- and he helped Canada capture gold at the 2016 World Hockey Championships, finishing with six points in 10 games.
It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of financial commitment the Sens end up making. The club could “buy” some of Ceci’s UFA years with a longer-term deal, but that will cost a pretty penny. The alternative could be to offer something shorter and see how Ceci progresses, but the danger there is the asking price going up should he continue to develop as a good offensive blueliner.