From draft-day bargain to healthy scratch to top-four minutes, Jordan Spence has earned a big raise this summer.
Jordan Spence's time in Ottawa came with humble beginnings.
After two years as a regular in the LA Kings lineup, Spence was traded at the draft to the Senators for a mere third-round draft pick.
New Kings GM Ken Holland wanted to move off Spence because, "It's just hard to play him and Brandt Clarke right now," referring to the sameness of the two players. Holland wanted a different sort of right-shot D, so he later went out and signed former Senator Cody Ceci to effectively take Spence's spot on the roster.
After breaking the bad news to him and the feelings that go with that, the Kings took solace in the fact that Spence would have a better opportunity to play in Ottawa.
But a few months later, when the Senators opened their new season in Tampa Bay, Spence was a healthy scratch. Even with Tyler Kleven injured, Spence sat in the press box while Nikolas Matinpalo, Donovan Sebrango and a quick-healing Nick Jensen all suited up.
How times have changed.
By the time the season was over, Spence established himself as more than an everyday defenseman. Among Sens defensemen, he finished fourth in time on ice per game, which is the very best measurement of what your team thinks of you. He finished with a career-high 31 points, and along with being an excellent puck mover, he didn't mind finishing his checks along the boards.
One of his biggest virtues, at least on this team, was availability. While the Sens endured one injury after another on the blue line, Spence managed to dodge the injury bullet all season.
Now Spence is a restricted free agent, and the Senators find themselves considering lucrative compensation packages for Spence that they probably never would have dreamed of at the start of this season.
Naturally, a lot will depend on what Steve Staios does this summer. If he goes out and gets another top-four defenseman, ideally a physical, shutdown guy, that might knock Spence down to a bottom-six pairing, which would certainly affect what the Senators want to pay.
Spence is also two years away from unrestricted free agency.
So the Sens could sign him to a one-year deal and see if Spence can impress again, and also see what everything looks like when everyone stays healthy for a season. In particular, that's been a challenge for Thomas Chabot, who plays a similar game to Spence on the opposite side. Chabot has missed 15-30 games in four of the last five seasons.
The Sens could also buy up some of Spence's UFA years and do something longer term. He's still only 25 with just three full NHL seasons under his belt. Now he'll have a big new contract and a greater sense of belonging next season, so we're betting the best is yet to come.
With the NHL cap going bananas over the next few seasons, Spence isn't likely to re-sign for the max seven years. But barring the offseason addition of another right-shot defenseman in Ottawa, a good bet for Spence would be four years at $4.5 million AAV.
Meanwhile, back in LA, the Kings might be reconsidering Spence's value these days.
After Holland put his stamp on the team for this season, which included dealing Spence away for a third-round pick, the Kings' goal differential this season dropped 66 points, going from +44 last season to -22 this season.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:
Our One-On-One With Senators Winger Drake Batherson
Senators Defenseman Goes From 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs To Signing In Switzerland
Rasmus Ristolainen: A Deeper Look Into A Potential Senators Trade Target
What’s The Plan For Senators UFA Lars Eller?
Archive: The Year Erik Karlsson Became Ottawa's First Norris Trophy Winner At 22