LA Kings Training Camp Preview: Cody Ceci

The Kings brought him in to play valuable minutes on the third pair, and it didn’t work. They brought him in to play a big role on the penalty kill, and like all of the Kings defensemen, he struggled. In the end, Ceci paired with Brian Dumoulin might have been the most expensive third defensive pairing ($8,500,000), and the early returns of the investment weren’t fulfilled. Instead of signing Ceci, the Kings could’ve kept Jordan Spence for three times less money wise with better upside, even though he isn’t a penalty killer.

2026-27 outlook

There haven’t been any changes to the backend, so we’re going to anticipate Ceci returning (although anything can change). I don’t expect his role to change. We should expect him to play on the third pair again and play on the penalty kill once more. Look, I’m sure Ceci is a great person. Teammates love him, and he is a good locker room presence, but sometimes those traits don’t always lead to on-ice productivity.