Cody Ceci returns

The Toronto Maple Leafs are about to get some added help on the blueline...possibly. Cody Ceci has been taken off of injured reserve and could return as early as tonight against the Anaheim Ducks. 

Ceci suffered an ankle injury in Toronto’s 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers on February 5th, 2020. He was placed on Injured Reserve on February 7th, with plans to re-evaluate his condition a month later. Following re-evaluation, Ceci has now been cleared to play. He has eight points through 54 games, and a +8 rating.

Whether this is good news or bad news likely depends on who you talk to. Toronto fans have a very mixed reaction to the 26-year-old blueliner. Ceci can have off nights where he tends to make mistakes and turn over the puck. Still, his return has to be viewed as at least somewhat welcome for the Leafs faithful. 

Ceci was traded by the Senators, along with Ben Harpur, Aaron Luchuk and a 2020 third-round draft pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Nikita Zaitsev, Connor Brown and Michael Carcone. Ceci soon agreed to sign a one-year, $4.5 million contract extension with the Maple Leafs on July 4, 2019. He becomes an unrestricted free agent on Jul 1st of this year. As far as it is known, there have been no talks with Toronto about a possible extension.