With September 2025 here, the Ottawa Senators will play hockey this month. The long wait for hockey to be played is over this month is over for the Senators. The Senators have four preseason games in the month before playing two more in October before the 2025-26 regular season opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 9.
This past June, the Senators made a bold trade with the Los Angeles Kings to acquire defenseman Jordan Spence. The Senators acquired Spence at day two of the 2025 NHL Draft.
Adding Spence helped bring in a new young defenseman who is eager to grow more at 24 years old. However, with the regular season just over one month away, there's a question surrounding Spence that the Senators will find out.
How good is Spence is a question the Senators are about to find out
As a King over the past two seasons, Spence was solid, but the Senators are about to find out how good he is and can be this upcoming season.
Spence recorded 61 points in 180 games during his Kings tenure, but the past two seasons is where he was an underappreciated player on the Kings roster. Spence recorded 24 points in the 2023-24 season, but last season was his career year.
In 79 games played last season, Spence recorded a career-high 28 points with a +23 rating. Spence turned into one of the Kings' top defensemen with his career year, and his impact was evident with his rating. Spence's +23 rating was the fourth highest on the Kings roster
Even with a career year last season, some might not know Spence's name, but he's determined to get more recognition for his work. This off-season, Spence went back home to Japan to help young kids learn and play hockey.
Now in Ottawa, a fresh start is ready for Spence. This season will be the final year of Spence's restricted contract at $1.5 million. If Spence delivers another solid year, a solid new contract in Ottawa could be possible.
However, if Spence has struggles, the trade could potentially come back to bite Ottawa. Spence will have a solid chance to be a reliable defenseman on Ottawa's roster. With Nick Jensen's hip being a concern, in which he needed off-season surgery, that is where Spence can step into the role of being a quality defender on the blue line.