ROSTER REDUX: Cody Ceci

Ahead of the 2023-24 season, EdmontonOilers.com is taking a look back at the '22-23 individual performances of the Oilers in our series 'Roster Redux'

EDMONTON, AB - Cody Ceci continues to play his hardened role in the Blue & Orange.

The 29-year-old defenceman currently occupies what Head Coach Jay Woodcroft has confirmed is a thankless job in his two seasons with the Oilers. Ceci's offensive stats won't ever rank up there with the likes of an Erik Karlsson or even an Evan Bouchard, but he's continuously asked to go up against the toughest competition Oilers opponents have to offer.

"Yeah, he might be one of those guys that flies a little bit under the radar in this room [the media room], but maybe not so much in the coach's office or in the locker room," Woodcroft said following a 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators in December. "He does a lot of the little things, the dirty things, sometimes subtle things that don't maybe draw a lot of attention but are, I think, critical to helping teams win."

In all, Ceci recorded a goal and 14 assists in 80 games with the Oilers last season, but also tacked on 139 hits, 110 blocked shots, and 20 takeaways to his defensive resume. The Ottawa native's 15 points was the second-lowest offensive output of his career -- excluding his rookie season -- but he finished the campaign with the second best plus/minus rating of his career at +11.

It's not hard to see why Ceci didn't stuff the stat sheet, it just wasn't his role. Of the 1,610.8 minutes he played for the Oilers in 2022-23, only 6.3 were on the team's NHL record-setting man advantage, while 234.1 were on the penalty kill. Most of that time Ceci spent saddled at the hip of defence partner Darnell Nurse, who has been the other half of Woodcroft's go-to duo when it comes to munching tough even-strength minutes.

"I just think for us, when they're at their best, they're playing a simple brand of hockey -- straightforward, direct, nothing complicated with the puck, and they're hard defenders," Woodcroft said. "They've been solid for us all season long."

The Oilers, as a team, really hit their stride defensively from March onward -- coinciding with the acquisition of rugged defenceman Mattias Ekholm from the Nashville Predators. The Swedish blueliner's arrival allowed the Oilers to spread the time-on-ice around a little more evenly. Prior to Mar. 1, Ceci played at least 20 minutes in 34 of his 61 contests (56%). After Ekholm joined the Oilers, Ceci eclipsed 20 minutes in just eight of Edmonton's final 19 games (42%).

The added defensive help was a net positive for the Oilers, who would go on quite the run to end the season. Edmonton would sport an 18-2-1 record in their final 21 games heading into the postseason before their Stanley Cup campaign was eventually ended short by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the playoffs.

The '22-23 season was also one of milestones for the 2012 15th-overall pick. Ceci suited up for his 700th NHL game on March 25th against the Golden Knights, but it was a moment just three weeks later that really stole the show for the Oilers defender.

On April 14th, Cody and his wife announced the birth of their first child, a daughter named Sawyer. Ceci missed the Oilers final regular season game against San Jose to be there for the birth, but was back in the lineup for Game 1 of the team's first round series against the Los Angeles Kings.

When asked about trying to juggle being a brand-new father with the impending pressure of an Oilers playoff run, Ceci credited his family with helping him be able to focus on the postseason.

"I moved down to the basement," he said. "We've got both our moms here helping out, so we're good on that front."

"It's been good," Ceci added about fatherhood. "They're [Cody's wife and daughter] back home now and just getting settled in. It's still a pretty cool feeling to have a daughter around the house and just sitting around with her and hanging out."