The LA Kings wrapped up the 2025 NHL Draft by selecting nine players over the seven rounds. However, over the course of the two days, they created a big hole on their defense with the trade of Jordan Spence to the Ottawa Senators for two draft picks.
All indications from general manager Ken Holland were that Spence wanted more ice time, and the Kings weren't in a position to do that with Drew Doughty and Brandt Clarke ahead of him. The Kings now must get to work on finding a right defenseman for that third pair and it is unlikely for them to add a top free agent there.
With that in mind, these are five players who are set to be free agents that might be the solve for that spot for the LA Kings.
Cody Ceci
The first player is one that won't give fans much confidence but it seems almost too obvious and probably the favorite to replace Spence. Cody Ceci was signed as a free agent in 2021 by Ken Holland when he was general manager of the Edmonton Oilers.
During that time period, he played in 237 regular-season games and averaged around 20 minutes of ice time per game. He is a big defenseman at 6'3" and brings physicality but not much else past that as a defenseman.
The Oilers traded Ceci last offseason to the San Jose Sharks and the Sharks traded him during the season to the Dallas Stars. The reason that Kings fans might not like this move is that he was pretty bad in the playoffs for the Stars, especially against the Oilers.
There is no question that Jordan Spence is the better player between the two, and the better player than the other players on this list, but Ceci might be viewed as a better fit for that third pair.