The Florida Panthers acquired defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2025 Trade Deadline. In return, the Blackhawks received goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-round pick. At the time, the reported condition was that the pick would become Florida’s 2027 first should the Panthers find another trade involving their 2026 pick. It was revealed on Friday – nearly a full year after the deal – that the pick also carries top-10 protection, per hockey insider Frank Seravalli.
That condition was later confirmed by Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, who adds that Chicago has been aware of the protection since the trade occured.
This news will diminish the Blackhawks’ chances of landing two top-10 picks in a strong 2026 draft class. Chicago currently sits with the sixth-worst points percentage, while Florida holds the 10th-worst. Wielding both first-round picks, with no protection, could have nearly doubled Chicago’s chances at landing the first-overall selection.
Instead, the Blackhawks will have to watch where Florida falls before they can start planning for the next two drafts. The Panthers have faced consistent challenges this season and enter the Olympic break with a 4-6-0 record in their last 10 games. The back-to-back Stanley Cup champions seem headed for a postseason miss, pending a surge in the second-half.
While a chance at double-dipping in the top-10 is always enticing, the Blackhawks’ prospect pool will move forward relatively unaffected. Draft pundits have agreed that top-10 value could fall into the teens of this year’s draft, while the 2027 class is believed to be another loaded year. Chicago has spent the last eight years building one of the best prospect pools in the league and are now entering a phase where promoting young talent will become more important than adding it. That could push the Hawks to consider moving out draft capital for some veteran rivets, an approach argued for by Kyle Bokota of Blackhawk Up.
Chicago seems headed for a high pick regardless this season, and still hold outside odds to land first-overall. Their scouting room will be as busy as ever, looking to land another value pick to join Anton Frondell and Vaclav Nestrasil Jr. from their 2025 class.
Panthers also owe Bruins a 2027 1st for Marchand. It defers to 2028 if 2027 is top 10 or conveyed to Hawks.
Yes your right, and if either pick gets moved back a yr, they become unprotected
This is such a mickey mouse league at times. Why wouldn’t this kind of info be made clear to fans when it happens . . . or to reporters for that matter! All the chicago beat writers and podcasters seem to be finding this out today . . . . except for Frank Seravelli for some reason (hmmm).
I know the frustration, but do you think these teams really care about telling fans what’s going on? We only pay their salaries and pay for their barns. Why would they bother telling us?
You do not pay their salaries. First you provide what maybe $300 a year for tickets? Thats chicken poop. The money comes from media deals or at least 75% does. Stop being so melodramatic and out of touch.
I pay a hell of a lot more than that for games. At least 42 overpriced tickets a year. I don’t want to get into the price for concessions. Our tax payers paid for over half our new barn that is being built as we speak. Then I pay for that “media” deal you are talking about to watch more games on streaming. Who do you think pays for that media?
Just quit talking bud…you don’t know what you are talking about. I have full right to voice my opinions on that, trust me.
I think you are the one that’s out of touch
That’s actually wrong come to think of it. My family has x3 season tickets. Between the Flames, Wranglers, Hitmen, Roughnecks, and Stampeders…we probably pay for more than 150 game tickets a year to the Flames coffers. Again, I won’t even get into the price of concessions and parking.
Buddy!? I think you are the one that’s out of touch.
To tell the truth…it’s more like upwards of 200 games or more, with the family going to various games. That’s a lot of money…for just one family every year. Then you times that by allll the fans that buy 1 to 200 plus tickets a year. Don’t tel me “us as fans” don’t pay their salaries and a barn to play in.
Use your head buddy.
Florida is not getting top 10 pick this year. In fact after the Olympics I expect they will take off anyway.
The Panthers did take 3 deep playoff runs, combined with no Barkov and an older Bobrovsky. They’re the Champs, but the playoffs would take an incredible run.
Actually if this pick is pushed down the line so to speak it wouldn’t be the worst news in the world. The Hawks have what should be a valuable pick of their own this year and 3 2nd rounders that Davidson should parlay into at least another late 1st rounder. Plus 2 high picks who will be here later this year( Frondell and Kantserov), Plus even more in the pipeline. So spreading them out wouldn’t be the end of the world IMO. It’s fine for the Hawks. Might be better if it was later for a year when Florida just might crater.
This is the least of Chicago’s problems. They should worry more about some of the guys they already drafted.
Florida should be helped by the 3 weeks off due to their many injuries.
I thought the league had baked in rules to prevent teams from too many top-3 picks over a span of years. The Blackhawks must be nearing that limit.
The recipe is to prevent continuous yearly tanking, but it applies only to a team’s own picks. An acquired pick is not subject to the cumulative restriction.
A team can win (move up) in the Lottery more than 2 times in 5 years. Hawks won 1 time (Bedard), then drafted second and third (stayed in place).
McKenna to the Panthers and they come back with everyone healthy and rested for more Cups
He’d fit right in with the other players committing near-felonies on a nightly basis. They should be handing out suspensions like after-dinner mints
@Elite Rumors are that he punched the other dude bc for harassing his mom. And now the charge of felony assault has been dropped after video evidence was reviewed (still has pending lesser charges). After learning that McKenna has a native heritage, and now with that video evidence, I doubt this will hurt his draft stock at all
Native heritage?! The era of ‘Labeling’ every being and then ‘Categorizing’ them is Over.
We all came from the same source of life. All of us. People, bugs, fish, donkeys.
Stick with the labeling and we all stay divided. End it, and we all ascend.
Native heritage? What does that have to do with committing or not committing a crime? He will get a slap on the wrist and it won’t drop his draft stock at all.
No one ever gave a rats ass about the condition attached to that draft pick because it never did and never will matter. Barkov is skating and they are getting healthy. Not only will they make the playoffs, I’d be scared if I was on there docket in the playoffs.
Barkov is skating but still probably wont be ready until sometime mid playoffs. If they make it there, the agree theyre still a very scary roster but there is a real possibility that this condition matters this year with the unfortunate amount of injuries that they have and who knows what will happen at the olympics.
*I agree