Replacing Ceci should be high on Hextall's to-do list taken at PPG Paints Arena (Penguins)

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Cody Ceci.

Cody Ceci was, by most accounts, the unrestricted free agent the Penguins could least afford to lose this summer.

Which is precisely why he was probably the one most likely to move on, as he will after reportedly agreeing to a four-year contract with Edmonton. The deal carries a salary-cap hit of $3.25 million.

Ceci had received $1.25 million last season on a one-year agreement with the Penguins.

And they didn't begrudge him a penny of it.

Ceci's reputation was shredded, and his NHL future somewhat in doubt, when former GM Jim Rutherford added him to the payroll last year.

The move drew serious criticism from outside the organization, mostly because Ceci was coming off a miserable season in Toronto, but he performed to -- or above -- all reasonable expectations.

He worked alongside Mike Matheson on a pairing that moved up the depth chart from No. 3 to No. 2, providing defensive stability that allowed Matheson to take full advantage of his offensive abilities without being overly concerned about playing in his own zone.

Although Ceci's offensive stats -- four goals and 13 assists in 53 games -- were fairly modest, he blocked a team-high 70 shots and ranked fifth on the Penguins with 72 hits.

He averaged 18 minutes, 31 seconds of ice time per game, including 2:32 while the Penguins were shorthanded. That was more than any teammate except Brian Dumoulin, who logged 13 additional seconds of penalty-killing work.

It was a career-reviving performance, one that obviously impressed the Oilers.

A lot.

The magnitude of his contributions also explains why replacing him will have to be a priority for Ron Hextall before the season opens Oct. 12 in Tampa.

Hextall likely will explore free agency and trades, but shouldn't expect to turn up a proven right-handed defenseman who can effectively handle the workload Ceci took one while consuming such a small slice of their salary cap.

There are several possibilities, if the Penguins would be inclined to fill the void internally.

John Marino, who has worked mostly with Marcus Pettersson, could be bumped up to the No. 2 pairing, which is where he and Pettersson were slotted early last season.

Marino's responsible defensive game should give Matheson the latitude to get involved in the offense that he enjoyed when Ceci was his partner.

Mike Sullivan also could plug Chad Ruhwedel into Ceci's spot.

There would be a degree of risk in doing that, because Ruhwedel never has appeared in more than 44 games since breaking into the league with Buffalo in 2012-13.

Ruhwedel, though, is responsible and diligent and, at the very least, could serve as a capable place-holder if Hextall would need extra time to find a satisfactory replacement for Ceci.

Of course, the whole issue could be resolved soon if there's a right-side defenseman available in free agency who appeals to Hextall and his staff and who could be added without wrecking the Penguins' salary-cap situation.

Someone a lot like Cody Ceci was just one year ago.

Keep up with all of the Penguins' moves today.

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