Prospect Info: 95th Overall Jordan Spence Defence

kilowatt

the vibes are not immaculate
Jan 1, 2009
18,357
20,894
Jordan Spence, D, Moncton-QMJHL
Feb. 24, 2001 | 5-foot-10 | 165 pounds

Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 35
Hockey Sense: 60

Spence intrigued me early on this season as a rookie 17-year-old CHLer getting huge minutes and time on the first power play unit with Moncton right out of the gate. He played well all season, including at the U18s for Canada. I appreciate his hockey sense a lot. Spence shows a lot of poise and vision with the puck. His breakouts relieve pressure well and he can QB power plays at a high level. He skates well, but for a small defenseman, his speed and skill don’t wow me. He has enough speed to skate with pros and turn CHL defenders. At his size, he defended fine this season due to his brain. I think if Spence was just any other prospect he’d be easy to slap a late/bubble pick tag on with his toolkit. However, he played so well this season after not even being in the CHL that you could argue there’s more to come with experience.
 

Visul

Registered User
Dec 22, 2015
157
150
Q's best scoring rookie defenseman this season. Right-handed shot offensive dynamo. If Björnfot lacks something offensively, I think Spence is a very nice pick for filling that need.
 

Steve Zissou

I'll order you a red cap and a Speedo.
Feb 3, 2006
7,207
9,684
City of Angels
Yannetti, on Jordan Spence’s background:
He didn’t get drafted – I think he went though the draft in the Quebec league. He actually got whiffed through one time. … Again, anytime a kid deals with adversity – and not only deals with it, but just smashes through it – it’s a huge plus for us. Most of these kids, these kids aren’t handed anything because they’ve worked their asses off for it, but these kids don’t deal with adversity. They’re the best players who are put on the best team and get to play with the best people and get to have the best facilities – that’s their station in life. Most of their kids don’t deal with adversity until they get to the pros, so anytime a kid is showing at 13, 14 that he can deal with adversity, that’s a pretty promising trait in my opinion. … We have all kinds of different interviews with the kid – we just kind of sat down and talked to him, it was really unique, and he was kind of cool. It was much less of an interview in the times we talked to him, and much more of having a chat. … Very personable, very easy to talk to. It was fun. It was good, it was nice to have him there at that spot.
 

lumbergh

It was an idea. I didn't say it was a good idea.
Jan 8, 2007
6,229
5,457
Richmond, VA
Really interesting background on Jordan Spence. Been all over the place; not taking your traditional hockey route.
 

Brodeur

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
25,863
15,274
San Diego
Tried to get his autograph on Day 2. He signed for all the kids, saw me, then turned around. In a way, I was totally cool with it. There were some really aggressive autograph / picture hunters there, the type of adults who would push over a kid for a foul ball.
 

The Gabe Blade

Registered User
Jul 9, 2004
4,995
1,613
Canada.png
 

BringTheReign

Registered User
Jul 3, 2008
5,226
4,742
San Diego
Emerson told Lisa Dillman that Spence is being watch closely by the entire staff, and I was stoked to hear it. He still needs to prove it as a pro, but I feel like he's already vastly outperformed his draft slot.
 

kingsboy11

Maestro
Dec 14, 2011
11,516
8,028
USA
Just a friendly reminder that our 17th-best prospect (probably underrated) won the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year and may be named to a stacked Team Canada WJC team.

The Kings have drafted only 2 Canadian players the last 2 drafts in Byfield and Spence and there's a good chance that both of them will be on the WJC team this winter. That's insanely efficient.
 

bland

Registered User
Jul 1, 2004
7,092
10,005
Just a friendly reminder that our 17th-best prospect (probably underrated) won the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year and may be named to a stacked Team Canada WJC team.
17th only because folks tend to sleep on defensemen, especially ones they haven't seen much. Spence is clearly a better prospect than 8 or 9 of the guys ahead of him on our list. I really like Faber, but its a joke that Nousainen and Hults are ahead of Spence.
 
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King'sPawn

Enjoy the chaos
Jul 1, 2003
21,812
20,607
17th only because folks tend to sleep on defensemen, especially ones they haven't seen much. Spence is clearly a better prospect than 8 or 9 of the guys ahead of him on our list. I really like Faber, but its a joke that Nousainen and Hults are ahead of Spence.

I disagree with the top-10 placement (as you said he's better than 8-9 of people ahead of him). I have him 15th, though it's basically a very close tier outside of the top 10. My 11-20:

11. Parik
12. Kupari
13. JAD
14. Ingham
15. Spence
16. Faber
17. Nousiainen
18. Simontaival
19. Hults
20. Lafrerriere
 

bland

Registered User
Jul 1, 2004
7,092
10,005
I disagree with the top-10 placement (as you said he's better than 8-9 of people ahead of him). I have him 15th, though it's basically a very close tier outside of the top 10. My 11-20:

11. Parik
12. Kupari
13. JAD
14. Ingham
15. Spence
16. Faber
17. Nousiainen
18. Simontaival
19. Hults
20. Lafrerriere

That's perfectly reasonable. I don't rank goaltending prospects that early in their careers as I believe that the aspects that determine their quality aren't developed until they reach the professional level. Perseverance and self belief aren't noticable until tested, and I think those are really the factors that separate the wheat from the chaff in the net.
 
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Raccoon Jesus

Todd McLellan is an inside agent
Oct 30, 2008
61,489
60,930
I.E.
I disagree with the top-10 placement (as you said he's better than 8-9 of people ahead of him). I have him 15th, though it's basically a very close tier outside of the top 10. My 11-20:

11. Parik
12. Kupari
13. JAD
14. Ingham
15. Spence
16. Faber
17. Nousiainen
18. Simontaival
19. Hults
20. Lafrerriere


That's my thing. I have him high on mine as well but it's hardly a joke to have him a little lower because it's a very tight tier and you can move spots on developmental/ranking philosophy as much as you can ability. Hell for example @bland says he doesn't even rank goalies. Other posters rank players closer to the NHL (ie farther along in development) as 'better'. Others are ranking on potential. That easily explains the differences in opinions.

I don't think there's anything in our group rankings that's truly unbelievable. You can easily account for personal nuance without attacking the process or people.
 

Peter James Bond III

CHROMIAK COMETH
Jul 8, 2020
520
1,383
I got frigging tingles all over my face when I saw Quinton Byfield with LA KINGS logo in that Team Canada lineup projection. Serious.
It's still processing in my mind and cannot believe he's a King AND SIGNED already. We still have not even had Turcotte, Bjornfot, Kaliyev,
Fagemo for much time, to know the affects they will have...and Vilardi was just bursting on the scene. And no doubt, there are a legion of
others that may surprise (to the upside) over the next 1-3 years - Kupari, Madden, Spence, Clague, Nousiainen, Grans, Faber, Simontaival,
Thomas, JAD, Hults,...it's insanity to the 5th power. Yes, some will not reach their projections...but even if 1/3 do, very very good times
ahead.

Not even mentioning Mikey Anderson here. Or Lias Andersson. I am sure I forgot others. It's a legion.

Back to Spence - I think everyone will know who he is, during the WJC.
 

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