from Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen,

In the past couple of days, defencemen Jacob Trouba and Olli Maatta — both selected in the first round of the 2012 NHL draft — have been traded from their original teams.

There’s now a distinct possibility Cody Ceci could be the next defenceman from that class to move on from where he started.

Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said earlier this week that he has held talks with Ceci’s agent, J.P. Barry, about a potential extension — both short and long-term — but Dorion is also seriously exploring the trade market for the 25-year-old defenceman.

If the return is right, it could happen in and around this weekend’s NHL draft in Vancouver.

Ceci has had an intriguing history as a homegrown talent since being drafted by the Senators 15th overall seven years ago.

For all the high points and potential that came with his early success, the mere mention of Ceci’s name is enough to set off venom among some on social media, who have often unfairly targeted him as the whipping boy for everything and anything that has gone wrong on the Senators blueline for the past several seasons.

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