The Kings have extended defenseman Jordan Spence’s contract with a fresh two-year agreement worth $1.5 million annually, the team confirmed in Thursday’s news release.
Spence, 23, produced 24 points during 2023-24, his first campaign as a regular for the Kings in which he played 71 games.
He skated primarily on their third defensive-pairing with the offensively-challenged Andreas Englund, but during the Kings’ fleeting playoff run he found himself alongside Drew Doughty late in some late-game situations as the Kings pressed for goals.
Englund’s new role was unclear after the Kings made a significant investment in another left defenseman, veteran Joel Edmundson, meaning Spence will likely have a new partner next season. The departure of right-side roamer Matt Roy should also open up more ice time and expanded responsibilities for both Spence and 2021 lottery pick Brandt Clarke.
Spence, who entered last season saying he “knew his worth” prior to the Kings’ preseason trip to Australia (where he was born before living in Japan and then Canada), opted for a bridge pact similar to that of former King Sean Durzi rather than a one-year, bet-on-himself proposition like that of Mikey Anderson.
Anderson signed a one-year, $1 million deal after his entry-level contract expired before inking an eight-year pact the following season. Durzi had opted for a two-year term at $1.7 million per annum, but recently signed a six-year, $36 million extension with Utah’s newly relocated franchise.
Spence and Clarke appear to be the last right defensemen standing behind top rearguard Drew Doughty after the Kings thinned their once-burgeoning depth at perhaps the most coveted position in pro hockey.
Durzi was hastily cast aside in the Kings’ fervor to acquire center Pierre-Luc Dubois, whom they traded for pennies on the dollar in a cap dump following an abject flop of a season for both player and team.
Sean Walker and Helge Grans were both utilized as incentives to jettison the onerous salary of Cal Petersen and re-sign left defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. Walker was traded mere months later as the core piece in a deal for a first-round pick and then signed to a five-year extension by the Colorado Avalanche, while Gavrikov has just one year remaining on his noncommittal extension.
Roy walked in free agency for nothing in return, signing a six-year, $34.5 million deal with the Washington Capitals in the same summer that another one-time Kings asset, Brock Faber, re-upped with the Minnesota Wild for $68 million over eight years. Faber set himself up for life just two seasons after being swapped (along with a first-round pick) for the gifted but flighty Kevin Fiala.
Now, Spence and Clarke, each of whom bring a more offensive bent than the rest of the D corps save arguably Doughty, will be relied upon to ensure that a mountain turned molehill will be strong enough to support the right side of the Kings’ defense.
There’s reason for optimism with Spence, whose underlying numbers were strong and whose formidable shot only found the twine twice, meaning more than 90% of his points were assists last season. He has learned to navigate the trenches despite his limited size –– he’s under 6-foot at a lean 180 pounds –– and utilize his elusiveness when breaking out of his own end.
At the end of his deal in 2026, he will still be a restricted free agent, albeit with arbitration rights.