Maybe we should protect Karlsson, Phaneuf, and Methot in the expansion draft, and is LV takes Ceci, we try to sign Micheal Stone in the offseason(yeah, yeah I know, the budget).
This will never happen.
Ceci's value in a trade is probably way too high to lose him for "nothing" in the expansion draft.
Two scenarios that involve losing Ceci.
If Ottawa feels they have to protect Methot and are going to lose Ceci, Ottawa trades Ceci and gets a return for him great enough to justify losing Ceci+Lazar or Wideman (best available unprotected players in a 7-3-1) instead of ONLY losing Ceci. By proxy, Ottawa will have traded Ceci+(Wideman or Lazar) for a return instead of "trading" Ceci to Vegas via expansion selection for "nothing".
Ottawa goes 4-4, protects Turris/Brass/Hoff/Stone up front and set themselves up to lose one of Ryan/Lazar (RFA)/Pageau/Dzingel (RFA)/Smith (UFA). It is still way too early to say who Vegas takes but I would say the front runner there is Dzingel or Ryan (if he finishes with his usual 25/55 pace). Based on their performance today, it is obviously Dzingel, but that is a very small sample size for a guy who hasn't played at this level consistently before and is 25. If I am Vegas' GM, I take Dzingel, but I am not Vegas' GM.
The dream scenario for Ottawa would be Phaneuf waiving his NMC under the assumption that he will not get taken (huge cap hit relative to his position in the lineup/Vegas having a wealth of top 4 LDs available to them from other teams/Ottawa having some other decent pieces available). I can't say I know if he'd do it, and I wouldn't bet on it, but it isn't something that is that far out of an idea. A guy with leadership capabilities agreeing to take a small risk to keep what is being sold to him as a complete defensive core together.
If Phaneuf waives, Ottawa is in the drivers seat for the expansion draft. Best available players from Ottawa probably work out to be something like Smith (UFA would have to agree to a contract with Vegas), Lazar, Wideman, Driedger, Boro.
In that scenario, LV likely takes Lazar or Wideman. Wideman is still relatively young and their won't be an abundance of NHL calibre RD puck movers.