Things were bad for Cody Ceci in the early fall of 2020.

But he was hardly alone.

The pandemic had crippled so many walks of life that autumn, including the business of being a professional hockey player.

And given that Ceci was coming off a poor season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, his options as an unrestricted free agent were limited at a time when the NHL’s finances hindered the salary cap ceiling.

In short, it was a terrible time to be looking for a new contract.

But the Penguins, under the guidance of former general manager Jim Rutherford — who was always willing to take on a reclamation project — signed Ceci to a frugal one-year deal worth $1.25 million that October.

While the 2020-21 season didn’t start until January 2021, Ceci took full advantage of the opportunity afforded to him by the Penguins and re-established his game as a reliable second-pairing defenseman.

Appearing in 53 of a possible 56 games, Ceci scored 17 points (four goals, 13 assists), second among the team’s defensemen, while averaging 18 minutes, 31 seconds of ice time.

That showing boosted his value as an unrestricted free agent, and he signed a four-year contract with Edmonton with a salary cap hit of $3.25 million in July 2021.

“It was kind of a year to build myself back up,” Ceci said. “It was a shorter season, so I wasn’t here that long but I really enjoyed my time here. The guys were great, the fans were great.

“It was a short but sweet stay in Pittsburgh.”

Today, Ceci is stationed on the Oilers’ top defensive pairing as a counterbalance to the dynamic Darnell Nurse.

In 58 games this season, Ceci has nine points (one goal, eight assists) while clocking 20:22 of ice time per contest.

“(Ceci) is so reliable,” Nurse said following his team’s morning skate at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday. “Every time he gets on the ice, you know what he’s going to bring. A great teammate, great person, too. As a whole, he’s brought a lot to our organization. Some stability on the back end and also some leadership, too.”

A first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2012 (No. 15 overall), Ceci saw his career bottom out a bit late in his tenure with the Senators. Following a trade, he had endured an ugly 2019-20 campaign with the Maple Leafs before finding safe harbor in Pittsburgh.

“That was important for me, too, just to get back to the way I was used to playing,” Ceci said of his solitary season with the Penguins. “After the year in Toronto and then the pandemic hit, it kind of stalled the whole year. And being a free agent that summer wasn’t fun. Being able to land in a good spot like this was great for me, and it turned out well.”

Working with Penguins associate coach Todd Reirden — who was an assistant coach at that time — provided ample benefit to Ceci.

“I really enjoyed him,” Ceci said. “He helps out a lot on the back end. Me specifically, coming in, just building my game back up, we did a lot of work together with video and whatnot. He was great for me.”

The combination of the Penguins’ structure the culture established by superstars such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin led to Ceci’s rehabilitating his stature as an NHLer.

“I think a little bit of everything,” Ceci said. “Had a good chance to play with some really high-end players in a system that had been proven to work for them for a number of years. They play a good structured game. They have good leadership over there.

“It was a fun time getting to play with everyone.”

The Penguins’ entered Thursday’s contest against the Oilers in a three-game losing skid that has dropped them below a playoff seeding. While others might see reason to panic, Ceci knows better from his brief existence as a member of the organization.

“What I learned from playing over there is that they stay calm through the rough patches,” Ceci said. “And they just work their way through it.”

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