Cody Ceci has not played a game yet with the Edmonton Oilers, but he already has a lot to prove.
The Edmonton Oilers signed Cody Ceci to a four-year 3.25 million dollar contract this offseason, whether or not that contract is going to be a success for the team is still up in the air. Unlike a player like Zach Hyman, Ceci is joining the Oilers without much success to back up his play or the length of the contract.
Hyman is the presumed ideal linemate for McDavid, and you cannot put a price on that. Duncan Keith is a three-time Stanley Cup Champion, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, and a future hall of famer. Adding a defenseman like him might be hard to get behind right now, but during the heat of a series or a game having Keith around will be nice.
Ceci is a little tougher to get behind. After losing Adam Larsson to the Seattle Kraken, the team needed to address their blue line and change their goals for the unit. Signing Ceci helps put them one step closer to building a championship roster, or so everyone hopes.
He has some playoff experience having played on the Ottawa Senators when they went to the conference final in 2017. Plus Ceci did block some shots and deal out some hits last season. he played in 53 games and put up 70 blocked shots and 74 hits. Putting him on a line with Keith could be a great second unit behind Barrie and Nurse.
Now we just have to wait and see whether or not Ceci is as good as Ken Holland sees him to be. Hopefully, this four-year deal won’t turn into one of the worst ones on the roster quickly.
The Oilers Blue Line:
I for one like what Edmonton has done with their defense. They have taken a position that saw only a few players signed for more than one season and turned it into a decent group with some depth. The unit has a nice combination of young and old players like Evan Bouchard can learn a thing or two from a guy like Duncan Keith who has been through it all in the league.
Not only that, but Nurse, Keith, Barrie, and Ceci are all signed for at least the next two seasons. This group is here and won’t be changing a lot anytime soon.