Ottawa Senators Have Curious Timing With Cody Ceci Deal

The Ottawa Senators announcing that they had come to terms on re-signing Cody Ceci yesterday really caught me off guard.

The actual signing seemed inevitable at some point. Pierre Dorion had vowed that Ceci would be playing for the Senators by the time the regular season started.

This eliminated any possibility of Ceci being traded, which is always a real possibility in similar contractual disputes like this.

I had mentally prepared to have this dispute last well into September at least, and I’m pleasantly surprised that it got completed so suddenly.

As recently as a week ago, the two sides didn’t appear close at all. What changed to accelerate a deal being finalized?

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The two sides had been in negotiations for months now, so it’s not as if anybody would applaud the swiftness of the deal, but it’s somewhat amazing that the two sides went from far apart to finished as quickly as they did.

The terms of the contract also shocked me within that context. Ceci and his agent had been seeking a long term deal somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-6 years. Dorion and the front office insisted on a bridge deal.

The front office ended up getting their way, as Ceci only got a two-year contract out of this long dispute.

I find it fascinating that Ceci caved as quickly as he did. I understand him not wanting to miss any valuable time with the team in a holdout, but training camp is still a month away.

Typically one side in negotiations of this nature will cave right before an important deadline, but I have no idea why Ceci accepted a deal he didn’t want with so much time until not only the regular season started, but even training camp.

Next: Ottawa Senators Fortify Defensive Unit With Cody Ceci Deal

The most important thing is that he’ll be on this roster for at least the next two seasons, though. If he continues at the pace he’s on, he’ll be due for a large raise by the time this bridge deal ends.

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