When Senators GM Steve Staios traded down two spots from 21st to 23rd in the first round of the NHL Draft last summer to acquire a third-round pick, 67th overall, from the Nashville Predators, it seemed, at the time, to be a nice piece of asset management.
He knew the guy they wanted in right-shot defenceman Logan Hensler from the University of Wisconsin would still be there.
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The acquisition of right-shot defenceman Jordan Spence that same day in exchange for that third-round pick, along with a sixth-round pick in 2026, has made Staios look like a genius as the Senators hone in on a playoff position with three games remaining.
It didn’t come easy for Spence, who had to earn the trust of his head coach, Travis Green.
Spence was a healthy scratch to open the season against the Lightning and Panthers last fall. He made his Sens debut in their home opener against the Nashville Predators but still didn’t have a firm spot in the lineup at that point. He was scratched again against the Buffalo Sabres before returning against the Seattle Kraken and New York Islanders.
Most will remember the end of the Islanders game when Spence was fleeced of the puck on a soft play against Anders Lee. That led directly to Lee scoring the game-winning goal with just over a minute to play, and it led to Spence being banished to the press box for six consecutive games.
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Some of the fanbase began to wonder what Staios saw in the former LA King, but Spence eventually regained his spot in the lineup and never relinquished it.
Until Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot both went down for an extended period, Spence quietly went about his business, putting up impressive stats and analytics. He mainly did so while suited up alongside Tyler Kleven on the bottom pair and playing second-unit power-play minutes.
But his role changed dramatically about a month ago, and as Herb Brooks famously told the 1980 US Olympic team before playing the Soviets in Lake Placid:
“Great moments are born from great opportunity”
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The loss of both Sanderson and Chabot provided a great chance for Spence to show he was capable of taking on and delivering more. To say that he’s taken this great opportunity and turned it into some great moments is an understatement.
The loss of those two workhorses really seemed to spell doom for the Senators’ playoff chances. They were on the outside looking in with several points to make up and multiple teams to pass.
Other defensemen fell to injuries as well, and by sheer necessity, Spence had to play more minutes against better opponents, and yet, he’s on the best run of his career, with nine points in his last 11 games.
In the past month, his ice time has been at 22 minutes or more 10 times, including over 30 minutes of work in the win over Buffalo last week.
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It’s been clear for some time now, and the Corsi numbers support it, that the Senators are far more dangerous offensively when Spence is on the ice, and this seems to be true regardless of who he plays with.
It’s hard to imagine the Senators maintaining their current wild-card spot without Spence’s performance in the past month.
Now people are wondering what kind of extension he’s going to get this summer.
With Nick Jensen seemingly out for the rest of the year and being a UFA at season’s end, the Senators seem to have the ideal backfill in-house. The only issue to be resolved with Spence is whether the restricted free agent will do a bridge deal or if the Senators will buy up as many UFA years as they can.
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This is a great problem to have if you’re Staios. Though Sanderson and Chabot have returned to the lineup and Spence’s minutes have become more manageable, the goal he scored against Tampa on Tuesday night served as a reminder that his elevated performance wasn’t a fluke and that there’s more under the hood.
Great moments are born from great opportunity, and it looks like Jordan Spence is making the most of his in Ottawa.
Pat Maguire
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:
Chabot Cleared To Play… 17 Days After Breaking His Arm
Ullmark Describes Masterton Trophy Nomination As Bittersweet
‘A Superstar Moment:’ The Senators Goal Everyone Is Talking About
Sens Sign Two Of Their Drafted NCAA Prospects
20 Goals: Former Senator Now Exceeding All Expectations
