Jordan Spence

Ottawa’s front office has some expensive puzzles to solve, and this one is already getting the offseason treatment. Spence, Batherson, and a few others are the kind of players who force a team to decide what it really values before the market does it for them. That usually means hard numbers, longer conversations, and a lot of coffee in the corridors where deals get quietly built before anyone admits they’re close.

Ottawa eyes restricted free agent Jordan Spence, whose breakout season has GMs circling with contract projections heating up. The Senators balance cap space against retaining a blueliner who anchors their top-four. Projections hint at a bridge deal that could define their blue line for years.

Tampa's Nikita Kucherov mails in yet another unenthusiastic playoff effort, leaving Lightning fans and coaches scratching heads. His regular-season wizardry vanishes come postseason, a pattern that's cost them dearly in recent years. With the core aging, this campaign raises tough questions about their Cup window.