Last offseason, general manager Ken Holland and the Los Angeles Kings signed veteran defensemen Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin to multi-year contracts in unrestricted free agency.
The signings of Dumoulin and Ceci were originally met with skepticism from both the media and the Kings' fan base, and Ceci's first season in Los Angeles did little to change that perception.
Cody Ceci's performance for the Los Angeles Kings in the 2025-26 season
In the 2025-26 season, Ceci registered one goal, eight assists, and nine total points while playing all 82 regular season games. He also played all four postseason games for the Kings in the first round vs. the Colorado Avalanche.
While Ceci appeared in every game for the Kings this past regular season, he struggled to consistently provide the defensive stability and puck movement that the Kings were hoping to add on the right side on the blue line.
Ceci saw his average time on the ice decline compared to the role he's been used to playing this past few seasons. For the first time in five years, Ceci played under 20 minutes in average time on the ice per game for the Kings this past regular season.
He spent most of this past regular season on a defensive pairing with Dumoulin. While Ceci and Dumoulin struggled at times in the defensive zone this past regular season, they were still part of a blue line that helped the Kings rank seventh in the league in goals allowed per game.
The defensive pairing of Ceci and Dumoulin registered an on-ice goals-for percentage of 38.9 this past regular season, ranking last on the team. Ceci also struggled to move the puck and turned over the puck consistently. Ceci and Dumoulin led the team in defensive-zone turnovers this past regular season for the Kings.
Ceci was a regular contributor on special teams on the penalty kill this past season for the Kings. Not only did he rank among the top five players on the Kings this past regular season in time on the ice on the penalty kill, but he also ranked second on the team in on-ice save percentage on special teams (per Natural Stat Trick).
2025-26 Season Grade: C-
What to expect from Cody Ceci moving forward with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2026-27 season?
Ceci goes into the upcoming 2026-27 season with three years remaining on his current contract. Coming off a disappointing Year 1 of his four-year contract he signed with the Kings this past offseason, Los Angeles might be looking for a shake-up on the blue line entering training camp and the preseason this fall.
While Ceci's contract won't be an easy piece to move this offseason, there is the possibility that the Kings still add a puck-moving defenseman before training camp in the next couple of months. That said, Ceci is still likely going to be back on the blue line for the Kings this upcoming season.
Regardless of whether it's under a new coaching staff or alongside a different defensive partner, the Kings need a more dependable version of Ceci at even strength at 5-on-5 if Los Angeles is going to take another step as a contender.
If Ceci is going to be a regular part of the top six on the blue line for the Kings, the team will need more out of the pairing between him and Dumoulin.
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