The Senators have officially announced the signing of defenseman Jordan Spence to a four-year deal with an average annual value of $5 million. 

Spence was scheduled to become a restricted free agent on July 1st and showed his worth to the Senators when their blue line was hit by a rash of injuries this year. 

After starting the year as a frequent healthy scratch, Spence appeared in 73 games, posting seven goals and 31 points. It's the second year in a row that the Senators have committed to Spence on draft day.

He was acquired by the Sens at this time last year from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2025 third-round pick (67th overall) and a 2026 sixth-round pick.

"Jordan was an excellent addition to our hockey club and proved to be a valuable asset on our blue line, and stepped up when it counted last season. We’re excited to have him as part of our core group," Staios said in a prepared statement on the club's website.

One of the offseason questions was whether the Sens needed to go out and get another top-six defenseman. $5 million per season is a little steep for a 5-6 defenseman, so it would appear at the moment that Spence is tracking to round out the club's top four for next season with Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, and Artem Zub.

But the offseason remains young, so we'll see what the next two weeks have in store.

More Jordan Spence coverage coming shortly.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News