Edmonton Oilers: Recapping free agency day one trades and signings

2. Oilers sign RD Cody Ceci to a four year, $13 million contract ($3.25 million per)

The replacement on the roster for Adam Larsson’s minutes, a lot of people are criticizing this signing but Ceci and Larsson are closer as players than you might think.

For example, Larsson finished second on the Oilers last season with 166 hits. Ceci was fifth on the Pens last season with 74. If he plays in the top 4 – which presumably he will be – then maybe he can close that gap.

What about blocked shots? Larsson led the Oilers last season with 128, while Ceci led the Pens last season with 70. Larsson was second on the Oilers in PK TOI last season with 2:18, while Ceci was second on the Pens last season with 2:32. As you would expect, neither guy plays much on the PP. Ceci actually beat Larsson in the +/- category last season as well, +18 vs. +2. Total TOI? Larsson’s overall ice time last season was 19:39, while Ceci’s overall ice time on the Pens last season was 18:31. That’s pretty close.

What about the offence each player put up? Ceci actually has Larsson beat in that category as well, putting up 17 points last season vs. Larsson’s 10. Career wise, it’s the same story. Ceci has put up more points (37 goals and 143 points vs. 25 goals and 137 points) in less games (549 career in Ceci vs. 603 for Larsson).

So you see, the two players aren’t as different as you think. Ceci is a player who was well known as a “pylon” in his last two seasons in Ottawa and his stint in Toronto, but he remade himself as a stay at home d-man last season with Pittsburgh and the only reason he’s not there now is because other players pushed him off the roster.

In his media availability, Ceci said he wanted to play with Connor Mcdavid and liked the young players on the roster, so Edmonton was a pull for him.

Pros – I see why Holland went after this guy now. Ultimately this was a player who could be had at a modest cap hit who can do all the things that Larsson can do but at $750,000 less than what Larsson will be making with Seattle. I have to hand it to Holland, that’s pretty savvy asset management.

Maybe not quite to the same degree as Larsson – in some areas – but at least comparable. Not to mention he has the capability to produce a higher level of secondary offence, and that’s something the Oilers need, especially from the back end. Partnering him with Duncan Keith should in theory only help. He’s 27 right now and his contract will take him to 31. For the record, Larsson is a year older and thus is more in danger of falling off a cliff in the final year of his contract than Ceci is at his.

Cons – Again, the more I research this deal the more I like it. But as with any new signing, there is risk involved. Are we getting the Ceci of last season in Pittsburgh or the one that didn’t fit in in Ottawa and Toronto? We won’t know until we play the games. If he doesn’t fit in he’s trapped here for four seasons.