Cody Ceci's inaugural season with the LA Kings during the 2025-26 campaign was a rollercoaster, filled with both challenges and contributions that stirred up a mix of reactions from fans and analysts alike.
Before the puck dropped on the season, the Kings made waves by signing both Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin to multi-year contracts. These moves were met with skepticism, especially considering Ceci's recent performance and Dumoulin's age.
Ceci had wrapped up the previous season with the San Jose Sharks before a trade landed him with the Dallas Stars. His journey eventually led him to the Kings, where expectations were cautiously optimistic.
As the season unfolded, Ceci's performance mirrored a bit of a dip compared to his earlier years. He suited up for all 82 games, posting 1 goal and 8 assists, totaling 9 points. Notably, his average ice time dropped to 17 minutes per game, marking the first time since the 2020-21 season that he played under 20 minutes a night.
Ceci found himself primarily on the bottom defensive pairing alongside Dumoulin. Despite his personal struggles, Ceci contributed to a Kings defense that ranked among the NHL's elite. However, his contract's modified no-move clause raised eyebrows, adding another layer of complexity to his tenure with the Kings.
The playoffs presented a formidable challenge as the Kings clashed with the Colorado Avalanche. Ceci found himself struggling against the Avalanche's offensive prowess, failing to register a point in the four-game series and ending with a -2 rating. During the regular season, his plus/minus sat at -10, the second-worst on the team, just ahead of Kevin Fiala, who had a -11 but played only 56 games due to injury.
Individually, Ceci's season had its ups and downs. While there were moments where he bolstered the Kings' defensive efforts, the overall impact of his signing has been mixed. As it stands, Ceci's contract runs through 2029, leaving plenty of time for him to turn the tides and prove his worth to the Kings and their fans.
In Other News...
Kings Just Made A Notable Coaching Move Fans Will Feel
Peter Laviolette is getting a different look on his bench in his first season behind the Kings bench, with two familiar hockey names stepping into assistant roles. Phil Housley and Ray Whitney arrive with plenty of NHL pedigree between them, giving Los Angeles a mix of defensive know-how and veteran offensive perspective as the club continues to shape its staff.
Newell Browns departure opens the door for the changes, and it also underscores how much this coaching staff is still taking form around Laviolette. Housley has already been through multiple NHL coaching stops, while Whitney is making his first pro coaching move after a long playing career, which makes this one of the more interesting behind-the-scenes shifts for a Kings team trying to reset its structure and identity. [Read more 🡒]
Two Dartmouth Prospects Are Giving Kings Fans A Reason To Watch
Two Dartmouth prospects have given Kings fans a reason to keep an eye on development camp this summer, with Hank Cleaves and Hayden Stavroff both in Los Angeles and working alongside a familiar college connection. Cleaves, a highly sought-after 6-foot-5 center, and Stavroff, the top goal scorer in college hockey and the reigning ECAC Player of the Year, have both drawn interest for different reasons, but they arrive with the same benefit: a strong relationship with the Kings organization and a setting that already feels a little familiar.
Dartmouths coaching ties are part of what makes this camp notable, with familiar staff around the Kings group and associate head coach Jason Tapp serving as a guest instructor. Cleaves has spent years building his connection to the organization, and Stavroffs scoring touch has made him an easy name to circle, but the bigger question now is how each player fits into the next stage of his development. For Kings observers, this is the kind of camp worth watching closely because both prospects bring obvious upside, and both are trying to turn that college success into something more. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Dumoulin Season Review Leaves Kings Fans With One Big Question
Brian Dumoulins first season in Los Angeles was the kind of full-year workload that gives a team plenty of tape to sort through. He was on the ice for all 82 games, chipped in 2 goals and 15 assists, and averaged 17 minutes a night while settling in mostly alongside Cody Ceci on the Kings blue line. On paper, the veteran brought durability and enough puck movement to help the back end, even if the seasons review was never going to be a simple one.
The harder part for the Kings is figuring out what the numbers really say about the fit. Dumoulin finished the year leading the club in giveaways and doing much of that damage in his own end, yet he also ranked second in takeaways, which is part of why the picture is so mixed. His results were also better with other defense partners, leaving Los Angeles with an offseason question it cannot ignore: whether the version of Dumoulin the Kings saw most often was the one they should expect going forward. [Read more 🡒]