PuckSleuth
10Cap hit
$5M
4.8% of $104M cap
Term
5 yrs
Through 2030-31
Clause
None
Surplus value
+$1.073M
vs. $6.073M market estimate
Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source
2026-27 regular season
GP
1
Goals
0
0.0% shooting
Assists
0
0 primary
Points
0
0.00 per game
TOI/GP
22:30
PP 0:08 · PK 2:27
xGF%
62.9
5v5, +0.4 vs. last yr
Game Score
+0.01
per game
Faceoff %
—
Plus/minus
0
Blocks 0 · Hits 0
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3 @ TOR · W 3-2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22:30 | 0:08 | 2:27 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +0.01 |
| Apr 25 vs CAR · L 4-2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 17:00 | 0:14 | 0:37 | — | 33 | 3 | 0 | -1 | -0.30 |
| Apr 23 vs CAR · L 2-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 20:29 | 0:55 | 0:04 | — | 50 | 0 | 2 | -1 | +0.28 |
| Apr 20 @ CAR · OTL 3-2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 39:01 | 0:16 | 0:47 | — | 60 | 4 | 1 | 0 | +0.35 |
| Apr 18 @ CAR · L 2-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23:40 | 0:21 | 0:48 | — | 17 | 2 | 0 | -1 | -0.14 |
GS = our Game Score (credit for everything he did; goals and assists count most). FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.
Advanced metrics
5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 1,202 min · percentile vs. NHL defensemen
100th percentile
98th percentile
96th percentile
99th percentile
100th percentile
100th percentile
84th percentile
95th percentile
100th percentile
82nd percentile
55th percentile
83rd percentile
37th percentile
98th percentile
xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.
Play styleDefensive anchor
Trait percentiles vs. NHL defensemen · 2025-26
Spence is a shot-generating defender who controls the game through exceptional defensive positioning and active shooting. He thrives on the back end but lacks the forechecking intensity and physicality to generate offense through play initiation.
- Shooting volume
- 89
- Playmaking
- 55
- Zone entries(est.)
- 14
- Forechecking
- 31
- Physicality
- 20
- Defensive impact
- 89
- Puck management
- 50
- Speed
- 55
Where he shoots from
Slot 10% · Mid-range 26% · Perimeter 64%(185 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- 89th percentile shooting volume, generating 185 unblocked shots from deep
- 89th percentile defensive impact, anchoring play at 62.5% xGF share
- 55th percentile playmaking keeps offensive chances moving once established
Watch-outs
- 14th percentile rush chances suggest difficulty entering the zone with possession
- 20th percentile physicality limits his board play and physical presence
- 31st percentile forechecking means limited ability to generate offense off the backcheck
Similar style: Theo Lindstein (STL), Ivan Provorov (CBJ)
Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.
Where his Game Score comes from
2025-26 · 73 GP
Season total +32.8, or +0.45 per game.
- Scoring
- +20.6
- Shooting
- +8.1
- 5-on-5 goals
- +2.3
- Defense
- +2.4
- Penalty kill
- +0.1
- Physical play
- +4.0
- Puck battles
- -2.6
- Penalties
- -2.1
Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | GWG | SOG | S% | TOI | FO% | GS/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Los Angeles Kings | 24 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 4.9 | 19:45 | — | — |
| 2022-23 | Los Angeles Kings | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.0 | 14:00 | — | +0.35 |
| 2023-24 | Los Angeles Kings | 71 | 2 | 22 | 24 | +5 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 2.5 | 14:26 | — | +0.37 |
| 2024-25 | Los Angeles Kings | 79 | 4 | 24 | 28 | +23 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 4.7 | 16:47 | — | +0.41 |
| 2025-26 | Ottawa Senators | 73 | 7 | 24 | 31 | +15 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 108 | 6.5 | 18:44 | — | +0.45 |
| 2026-27 | Ottawa Senators | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 22:30 | — | +0.01 |
| Career | 6 seasons | 254 | 15 | 77 | 92 | +44 | 52 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 323 | 4.6 | 16:55 | — |
Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team. GS/GP is our Game Score per game.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- Rangers prospects tiers for NCAA players, including Malcolm Spence
foreverblueshirts.com · Oct 2
Sentiment & chatter
Fans
—
Beat writers
—
Media
—
Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.
Recent Game Scores
Last 10 games · goals above average
Average +0.29 per game over these 10.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2025-26, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 21.5 mph
- 43rd pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 47
- Hardest shot
- 94.3 mph
- 74th pct
- Distance
- 196.6 mi
- OZ time
- 47.6%
- 99th pct
- DZ time
- 35.3%
Usage
Last game: @ TOR, Oct 3
Pair 1 with Thomas Chabot (8:43 together at 5-on-5)
From the NHL's shift chart.
Age curve
NHL defensemen · production index
At 25, defensemen typically produce 100% of their peak (age 24). His contract runs through age 29, when the typical level is 93%.
From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.
Contract by season
5 seasons left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | OTT | $5M | 4.8% |
| 2027-28 | OTT | $5M | 4.4% |
| 2028-29 | OTT | $5M | — |
| 2029-30 | OTT | $5M | — |
| 2030-31 | OTT | $5M | — |
$25M in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).