May 1, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Cody Ceci (44) shoots the puck in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche in game six of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Kings Add Pair of Defensemen

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 2:58 PM ET

The Los Angeles Kings entered the offseason with a need to make over and improve their defense. The first domino fell when they traded Jordan Spence to the Ottawa Senators at the 2025 NHL Draft.

The next step to improve their blue line came via free agency for the Kings. The organization announced that they agreed to contracts with two veteran defensemen who are expected to play impact roles on their blue line. The team signed right-handed defender Cody Ceci and former Stanley Cup-winner Brian Dumoulin to multi-year deals.

Ceci's deal is for four years. He will make an average annual salary of $4.5 million.

Dumoulin's contract is for three seasons. The deal is worth a total of $12 million, with an average annual salary of $4 million.

We've got a few more guys to welcome to LA! ✍️ pic.twitter.com/zWrIA8YQfV
— LA Kings (@LAKings) July 1, 2025

Ceci is a former first-round pick who has made an excellent mid-career revival. After some dubbed him a failure of an early pick, he found his game after leaving the Ottawa Senators. Since then, he's become an excellent middle-pairing puck-mover who can contribute on the penalty kill. Most recently with the Dallas Stars, he's played in 871 NHL games with six franchises.

Dumoulin is a Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins and a veteran of over 700 NHL games. Originally selected in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, he was a key piece of the return sent to the Penguins for Jordan Staal in 2012. After arriving in Pittsburgh, he became a staple of their top pairing with Kris Letang. After 10 seasons in Pittsburgh, he departed the organization via free agency.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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