"When the Los Angeles Kings signed defender Cody Ceci to a four-year contract this offseason, fans around the league were quick to question what the Kings' front office was thinking. He has played some big minutes previously as he has bounced around the league and has a ton of experience, but there is one issue with all of that: he isn't a good defender."
"To put things into perspective, the Edmonton Oilers recently extended their top-pairing defender, Mattias Ekholm, for just $4 million annually, and his analytics look fantastic while he has been one of the key contributors to their team's success over the past several seasons. The hope from Kings fans was that Ceci could play a bottom-pairing role and be a veteran presence who could provide some insight and be ready to go when the playoffs come around, since he's been there before, but he didn't leave a good first impression on fans."
Cody Ceci signed a four-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings despite limited defensive ability. Extensive NHL minutes and experience do not translate into strong defensive performance. Analytics offer no support for inserting Ceci into a contending team's key defensive roles, especially at his contract price. Comparisons to cheaper, analytically superior defenders like Mattias Ekholm underscore the value gap. Kings fans hoped Ceci would serve as a veteran bottom-pair option and playoff-ready depth, but his initial game produced a poor impression. A single rough outing occurred against the Avalanche, and his overall profile suggests limited upside.
Read at The Hockey Writers
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