LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings traded defenseman Jordan Spence to the Ottawa Senators for the 67th pick in the 2025 Draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 Draft.

Spence has been a part of the Kings organization since he was drafted in the 2019 by the organization. Playing his first game in the league in the 2021-22 year, Spence has tallied 180 games in the past four years that he has played in the league, with 150 of those games coming in the past two seasons. He just finished his first of two years in his three million dollar contract with L.A.

The right-handed defenseman had his best campaign yet this past year, with 28 points (four goals and 24 assists). He also had a plus-23 rating, significantly better than his plus-5 in 2023-24. Although playing well in the regular season, there was a gap in the postseason for Spence, where he and the Kings fell short of the Edmonton Oilers once again in the first round. 

While the New York Rangers were selecting their first pick of the 2025 Draft, the horn in Peacock Theater sounded, giving everyone notice that there was a trade. Instead of involving New York, though, it was announced that Los Angeles had made one of the first big moves of the draft so far. 

In return for Spence, the Senators only gave the Kings a third-round pick this year and a sixth-rounder next year. For such a solid defenseman who skates very well, it seems that this trade favors Ottawa from face value. 

This likely means that Los Angeles has a plan to fill the hole that Spence is leaving. This will not be filled by anyone in the draft but instead offers the possibility of a future trade or free agency acquisition. The odds are that the Kings will look for a player who fits the typical “L.A.” mold of a bigger blueline player who still can play a role in the offense by facilitating play.

After the trade, the Kings will now have two third-round picks this year, with the following pick numbers: 59 (via PIT), 67 (via OTT), 88, 120, 152, 184, 196, and 216 (both via PHI). 

In the 2026 Draft, the Kings still have all of their draft picks, as well as two picks in the sixth round.