Jordan Spence joins Ottawa Senators in bold trade while Los Angeles Kings gamble on Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci

The 2025 NHL offseason is serving up plenty of drama. Few moves have fueled more debate than the contrasting strategies of the Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings. Ottawa’s Day 2 NHL Draft trade for 24-year-old defenseman Jordan Spence looks like a forward-thinking bet on youth and value.

Meanwhile, the Kings made headlines for all the wrong reasons—spending big on aging, pricier blueliners whose best days might be behind them. It’s a clash of philosophies with the potential to reshape both franchises for years.

Ottawa Senators plan for future with Jordan Spence while Los Angeles Kings’ Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci deals spark questions

The trade was finalized during the second day of the 2025 NHL Draft and NHL free agency period in Las Vegas, sending Jordan Spence to Ottawa in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick.

Jordan Spence, a Japanese Canadian defenseman born in Australia, is coming off a career-best NHL season with 28 points and an impressive +23 rating. He’s entering the final year of his restricted free-agent deal at just $1.5 million—a bargain price for a 24-year-old on the rise."Spence was arguably the most underappreciated defenseman on the Kings roster," an NHL scout said on the Draft floor in Las Vegas. "He does so many little things well, but he wasn't getting the credit he deserved in LA."

Ottawa’s approach this summer has been measured and calculated. Their biggest free-agent move so far has been signing veteran center Lars Eller to a one-year, $1.25 million deal—solid, but hardly splashy. It’s clear they see Spence as a long-term investment who can grow with their emerging core.

Los Angeles Kings’ signings of Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci raise eyebrows in NHL free agency

The real fireworks came when NHL free agency opened in early July 2025, and the Kings turned heads with a spending spree many see as risky.

Los Angeles signed Brian Dumoulin to a three-year, $12 million deal ($4 million AAV) and former Senator Cody Ceci to a four-year, $18 million contract ($4.5 million AAV).

“Ceci’s contract was the biggest surprise of free agency so far,” said a league executive at the Kings’ practice facility in El Segundo. “You’re talking about paying more for two older players while letting a younger, cheaper option walk.”Dumoulin, now 33, had a rough end to the regular season after being traded to New Jersey at the deadline, though he redeemed himself somewhat by averaging over 29 minutes per game in the playoffs.

Ceci, 31, was often a liability in Dallas’ 2025 playoff run.

Adding to their aggressive moves, the Kings also brought in former Senators goalie Anton Forsberg on a two-year deal at $2.25 million per season—a move viewed as solid depth, but not exactly headline-grabbing.While the Senators quietly locked in a promising young defenseman for minimal cost, the Kings bet big on experience and name recognition. It’s a gamble that could define the trajectory of both teams. If Spence thrives in Ottawa and cements himself as a top-pairing defenseman while Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci struggle to live up to their hefty salaries, Los Angeles might look back on this offseason as the mistake that set them back for years.Also Read: Dallas Stars extend their longest-tenured captain Jamie Benn’s stay by one year for $1 million | NHL News - Times of India