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Toronto Maple Leafs Roundtable: The Is the Cody Ceci Experiment Working?

By Wilbert Timmermans

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 28: Cody Ceci #83 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up prior to an NHL pre-season game against the Detroit Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena on September 28, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 28: Cody Ceci #83 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up prior to an NHL pre-season game against the Detroit Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena on September 28, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 2: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his goal with teammates Andreas Johnsson #18, Cody Ceci #83, and Morgan Rielly #44 against the Ottawa Senators during the second period at the Scotiabank Arena on October 2, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 2: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his goal with teammates Andreas Johnsson #18, Cody Ceci #83, and Morgan Rielly #44 against the Ottawa Senators during the second period at the Scotiabank Arena on October 2, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /

My Take

Yes, it absolutely is. The presence of Cody Ceci along Rielly makes the potential Norris Trophy winner look uncomfortable, to say the least.

Without any disrespect towards to Ceci, truly. He’s exceeded my expectations so far and has positively surprised me thus far in the season. Alas, he’s just not a fit on Rielly’s side. It’s a waste of everyone’s time, including Ceci.

So why haven’t the Toronto Maple Leafs separated Ceci from Rielly?

The most brought up argument I’ve come across is that it isn’t a choice out of luxury, but out of pure necessity, desperation if you will. I don’t believe that to be the case, ridiculous.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have better options at hand, they choose not to exploit them. From the current top-four defenseman on the active roster, three of them are not part of the long-term plan and will likely be gone after the season, if not sooner.

Despite Rielly being the only player from the current top-four being part of the long-term plan, he’s stuck with a temp who doesn’t, in any fashion, makes him play better or compliments Rielly’s game, that’s not really a long-term thought, is it?

With Barrie and Muzzin as rentals this season, pairing them together will probably only help them in their free-agent status in the summer coming off a good year playing together.  The balance might be less, but putting either one of them with Rielly would certainly improve Rielly’s game.

I’m not saying the Toronto Maple Leafs should do something rash like blow a year of Sandin’s or Liljegren’s ELC contract, especially with Dermott returning, but they do need to stop the Cody Ceci experiment.

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