The Los Angeles Kings have introduced that they’ve signed defenseman Cody Ceci to a four-year, $18 million contract, which carries a median annual worth (AAV) of $4.5 million.
Ceci is a 31-year-old veteran defenseman who has performed 871 regular-season NHL video games throughout 12 seasons. He was drafted fifteenth total within the first spherical of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. Ceci made his NHL debut for the Senators within the 2013-14 season, the place he went on to play six seasons, setting his profession excessive with 10 objectives within the 2015-16 season. Following his six-season stretch with the Senators, Ceci determined to maneuver just a few hours up the 401 freeway and signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Ceci struggled in his lone season with the Maple Leafs, which led to him signing a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. After a bounce-back season in Pittsburgh, Ceci earned himself one other four-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers, which he performed three years of earlier than being traded again to the San Jose Sharks earlier than the 2024-25 season started. Ceci performed 54 video games with the Sharks earlier than he was on the transfer once more and was dealt to the Dallas Stars around the trade deadline.
Kings Can’t Anticipate A lot From Ceci
One constructive factor you may say about Ceci is that he’s dependable. He led the NHL in video games performed final season. He was the one participant within the league to play 85 video games, because the Stars had three video games in hand on the Sharks on the time of the commerce. He has additionally performed in 78 or extra video games in 4 straight seasons and has solely performed underneath 50 video games as soon as, which was his rookie season again in 2013-14, the place he performed 49 video games.
Except for his availability, it’s onerous to seek out a lot to love about this signing for the Kings, particularly at this $4.5 million AAV price ticket. Based on Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic and his participant playing cards, based mostly on web scores and superior analytics, his projected worth was $1 million. At a $4.5 million price ticket, his participant card suggests a one % probability that the Kings will get constructive worth on his contract. From this participant card, we are able to additionally see that he graded within the backside 4 % of gamers in defensive score at five-on-five and graded as one of many worst penalty killers within the NHL.
Ceci can present some offense from the again finish, as he has 20 assists and 20-plus factors in three of the final 4 seasons he has performed. Nevertheless, his offensive upside doesn’t assist mitigate the truth that he’s a legal responsibility on the defensive finish. He could be extra precious if he had been in a position to contribute on the ability play, however for a defenseman whose power is offense, it isn’t preferrred to see that he has not registered a degree on the person benefit since 2018-19.
With the Kings, Ceci should play bottom-pair minutes in a sheltered position to get the perfect out of him. However this contract could also be one of many first huge errors of the signing season, and the Kings will doubtless must search for a method to do away with his cap hit earlier than this contract runs out.
