If the Philadelphia Flyers want to get younger and more talented on defense this offseason, they need not look further than Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jordan Spence.
With the Nicolas Hague trade rumors that were flying around, the discussion around the Flyers' defense went from talent and skill to size and strength. Hague, who is reportedly not on Philadelphia's radar, would have brought the size and strength, but who will bring the other aspects?
After all, the Flyers were 30th in the NHL in total scoring amongst defensemen, producing a bog-standard 132 points from the backend.
That's where Spence comes in. The 24-year-old has scored six goals and 52 points over the last two seasons while establishing himself as an NHL regular in a bottom-four role with the Kings.
But, the Australian-born defenseman played more than 10 minutes once in his five playoff appearances for L.A., which can at least partially be attributed to his modest 5-foot-11, 190-pound frame.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported on Friday's episode of "32 Thoughts" that Spence is likely available on the NHL trade market for that reason.
"I think that's a name to keep an eye on. Ken Holland, you know how he feels about his blueline. He likes a big, mobile blueline. I just don't think the Kings feel Spence and Brandt Clarke on the right side together works," Friedman said. "They're both right-hand shots, they both need to play. I just don't think they feel there's room for two of them. Clarke I don't believe is available. Spence, I think, is, so that's a name to keep an eye out for."
So, why would the Flyers trade for a smaller defenseman in Spence when they already have Cam York, Jamie Drysdale, and Emil Andrae?
The answer is simple, actually. Spence's defensive metrics have been phenomenal in his current role, whereas Drysdale's, for example, have been extremely poor.
And for all Drysdale's talents and skating ability, the end product has not been there. With Spence, you're guaranteeing yourself a defenseman with a history of playing at a high level and producing no fewer than 24 points in each of the last two seasons.
The only Flyers defender with more than 20 points this season was Travis Sanheim, who scored 30 while playing a staggering 24:30 a night on average. Drysdale and Nick Seeler each scored 20 points, but Drysdale was a -32 while Seeler, his most common defense partner, was a +10.
As for Andrae, there are no guarantees he is an NHL defenseman, as encouraging as most of last season was for him. York is a pending RFA who is expected to remain with the team, while Drysdale is heading into a contract year that will probably define his NHL career.
Rasmus Ristolainen, if he isn't traded to the Kings in the Spence deal, won't be injured forever. But he's not getting any younger and will assuredly be at the mercy of Helge Grans come training camp if the latter shows some serious flashes.
Plus, top prospects Spencer Gill and Oliver Bonk are both 6-foot-2 or bigger.
Simply put, the Flyers have no real reason to worry about size on the right side. They need to worry about talent, production, performance, and more generally, finding the right mix.
Trading for Spence, at the very least, would signify that they're not content with how the 2024-25 season went with the currently constructed defense core.
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