Defenseman Cody Ceci still adjusting to Penguins
Cody Ceci #CodyCeci
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins signed defenseman Cody Ceci as an unrestricted free agent in October.
Like most NHLers who changed teams in the offseason, defenseman Cody Ceci hasn’t had the luxury of easing into a new way of life as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
That process hasn’t been any easier considering Ceci has already had two defensive partners in as many games he has played for the Penguins.
With training camp only lasting 10 days for most teams, new schematics and terminology had to be learned at an accelerated pace.
Ceci, who joined the Penguins as an unrestricted free agent signing in October, appeared to appreciate that, particularly because he isn’t the only new defenseman in the organization.
“(The coaches have) just been trying to get us up to speed on the system,” Ceci said during a video conference with media. “They are a bit different. They’re just working with us. They’ve been good at communicating it and getting the systems out to us at home. We’ve been working together to try to get up to speed as fast we can.”
Signed to a one-year contract worth $1.25 million, Ceci appeared in the Penguins’ season opener, a 6-3 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 13, then was scratched for three consecutive games.
With injuries hobbling incumbent defensemen Marcus Pettersson, Juuso Riikola and Zach Trotman as well as fellow newcomer Mike Matheson, Ceci returned to the lineup for Friday 4-3 shootout win against the New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena.
Logging 18:53 of ice time on 24 shifts, including a few playing the left side, the right-handed Ceci helped the Penguins generate their first goal. His wrister from the right point was deflected by forward Bryan Rust for a score.
“Cody had a good game,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I know he was eager to get back in the lineup. He played with a lot of enthusiasm. He defended hard. Obviously, we’re banged up back there. So to have a veteran presence like him in the lineup that can be a calming influence, I think was a big help for our team. He had a real strong game.”
A defensive defenseman by most measures, Ceci, 27, suggests the Penguins are asking him to be more involved offensively than his previous teams did.
“I like what I’m seeing so far,” Ceci said. “They’re big on trying to get us involved. It’s something we’re really keying in on this year. I think it will be a lot of fun to play. We’re just trying to go quick with the puck. A little different than some systems that I’ve played in the past, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
Barring further injuries or other absences related to the pandemic — a considerable qualifier — Ceci likely will not be playing as many minutes for the Penguins as he did with his previous teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.
Last season, while largely working on the Maple Leafs’ top pairing, Ceci was fourth among that squad’s defensemen with an average of 20:32 of ice time per contest. As a member of the Senators for six seasons, he averaged 21:04.
Through two games with the Penguins, he has clocked in at 17:41.
Ceci feels he’s ready to adapt to a lesser workload.
“It just gives you a little more energy when you are out there,” said Ceci, 27. “You don’t have to plan to save too much energy. You can go all-out on every shift.”
General manager Jim Rutherford appreciated the change.
“(Playing less is) an adjustment for a player,” Rutherford said by phone. “But that’s part of what we looked at. The situation he was in last year and how we would use and where we would use him and how (assistant coach Todd Reirden) makes those decisions and all of that.
“The next part of the experience is getting used to playing with (a new partner). … He’ll be in the lineup, he’ll be playing with a different defense partner and they have to communicate well and get to know each other fairly quickly.”
Ceci still is adjusting to a different team without a true training camp or any preseason games (to say nothing of a five-month layoff because of the pandemic).
Penguins management is preaching patience with him. At the same time, there are substantial expectations.
“He’s trying to get used to a new environment. He’s trying to get used to a new style of play from a systems standpoint or a tactical standpoint,” Sullivan said. “So he was dealing with a lot of change. … Our expectation is that he’s going to be a big part of this group. We ask for his patience in just working through the process. We know he’s a good solid defenseman. He’s going to help us.”
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Seth Rorabaugh is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Seth by email at srorabaugh@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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