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Seth Jones

Panthers Notes: Jones, Reinhart, Mikkola, Greer

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Seth Jones has played up to his ceiling as a top-pairing defenseman in the Panthers’ playoff run. On the verge of advancing to their third straight Stanley Cup Final, Jones has six points and a +11 rating in 15 games while averaging the most minutes per game of any Florida skater, by far, at 25:20 per night.

Rejuvenated after being acquired from the Blackhawks before the deadline, Jones’ game is back to where it was during the heights of his career several years ago with the Blue Jackets. He spoke to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times last week about the transition from being the minute-munching option on a rebuilding Hawks team to being back in a competitive environment in Florida.

“It definitely feels like there’s some pressure off [me] after the trade,” Jones told Pope. “In Chicago, I was just forcing things and trying to do too much – out of my realm, to be honest. It was always hopefully for the betterment of the team, in my opinion, [even though] it didn’t always turn out that way or look that way. But here, I can just play my game.”

“This system forces the defensemen to get up, gap up, be tight and force [opposing] wingers to make plays under pressure,” Jones continued – all obvious strengths of his game throughout his 12-year career. “Everyone is responsible and understands their job.”

There’s more out of Florida as they gear up for a potential series-clinching Game 4:

  • Winger Sam Reinhart’s status for Game 4 remains in the air after he missed Game 3 due to a lower-body injury, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters (including NHL.com’s Dan Rosen). His day-to-day designation hasn’t changed, and he’s been neither cleared nor ruled out for tomorrow’s contest. He’s been limited to four goals and 11 points through 14 games – significantly below pace compared to last year’s 10 goals in 24 playoff games and this year’s 81 points in 79 regular-season games. Still, he remains Florida’s leader in average time on ice among forwards at 20:07 per game.
  • Rangy defender Niko Mikkola is expected to be available for tomorrow’s game after sustaining an apparent upper-body injury last night, Maurice said (via Eric Engels of Sportsnet). After scoring a goal in the third period, Mikkola appeared to injure his shoulder in a collision with the boards and didn’t play the final 12 minutes of the 6-2 win. Skating primarily as Jones’ partner in the postseason, the 28-year-old has five points and a plus-six rating through 15 contests while averaging 19:19 per game.
  • The “should be good to go” status is the same for winger A.J. Greer, Maurice said (per the team’s Jameson Olive). It’s unclear what ailed him, but he left the bench with just over four minutes left in the game. The fourth-line heavyweight has played in eight straight games after starting the playoffs as a healthy scratch. He’s got two goals and an assist, all coming in his last six games.

East Notes: Jones, Peterka, Novak

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Due to the recent 20-game suspension to Florida Panthers’ defenseman Aaron Ekblad for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program, the team needed a new first-line powerplay quarterback and top-pairing defenseman. As expected, that distinction will go to newly acquired defenseman Seth Jones.

It’ll be a familiar role for Jones, who operated as such over four years with the Chicago Blackhawks and several years with the Columbus Blue Jackets. 146 out of Jones’s 432 career points have come with the man advantage, and that number should continue to grow on the league’s 12th-ranked powerplay.

Florida may face some significant challenges at even strength. Fortunately, Jones will have one of the league’s fastest and most defensively effective players alongside him in Gustav Forsling. Based on his past performance, it’s clear that Jones will require a defensive partner who can help alleviate some of the responsibilities in the defensive zone. According to MoneyPuck, Jones’s on-ice goals percentage has steadily dropped from 55.1% in 2018-19 to 44.0% this season with Chicago.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Buffalo Sabres could be without one of their top offensive players tomorrow evening. Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reported earlier that John-Jason Peterka is dealing with a lower-body injury and could miss tomorrow’s game against the waning Detroit Red Wings. Peterka is again challenging for the team lead in points, scoring 19 goals and 51 points in 61 games, only five points behind Tage Thompson.
  • Thomas Novak, a recent acquisition for the Pittsburgh Penguins, is day-to-day due to a lower-body injury, according to Wes Crosby of NHL.com. Given the game’s proximity, it’s assumed that Novak suffered the injury in Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Novak has gone scoreless through his first two games as a Penguin, managing a -2 rating while averaging 13:01 of ice time per game.

Panthers Acquire Seth Jones From Blackhawks

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The Florida Panthers have acquired defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The full trade sends Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Panthers for goaltender Spencer Knight and a 2026 first-round pick, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The first-round pick will become a 2027 pick if Florida decides to trade their 2026 pick in another deal, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Additionally, Chicago is retaining 26.3% of Jones’ hefty $9.5MM cap hit, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic.

The Blackhawks have made the deal official.

This marks the first blockbuster deal of true Trade Deadline season. Jones has been vocal about his desire for a move in the weeks leading up to the deadline, though he never requested a formal trade. Nonetheless, Chicago will find a great match in the contending Florida Panthers. It’s not the landing spot many expected, after Jones shared publicly that he’d welcome a return to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he previously spent six years.

Jones’ $9.5MM cap hit has stood as the barrier to any moves over the last few seasons. His presence, even at a reduced $7.0MM cap hit, will cash-strap the Panthers for the rest of the season. They now have only $629K in available deadline cap space, per PuckPedia.

Jones will be worth the investment, though. He’s been the clear-cut number-one defender in front of a rebuilding Chicago for the last four seasons. Jones confidently led all Blackhawks defenders in scoring this season, with seven goals and 27 points in 42 games. It’s his highest scoring pace since the 2021-22 campaign – his first year in Chicago – when he scored 51 points in 78 games. His totals dwindled in the ensuing two seasons, with Jones netting 37 points in 2022-23 and 31 points last year. But while his scoring captures plenty of attention, Jones’ defensive play has stood as a glaring weakness. He has a minus-18 this season – slightly worse than the minus-15 he posted last year but far improved from a minus-37 and minus-38 in his first two years as a Blackhawk. While serving as the ice time leader on a perennial bottom-team will certainly drive those numbers down, Chicago has found their best success when Jones is flanked by a defensive specialist like Alex Vlasic.

If any team can afford Jones’ all-offense, no-defense style – it’s the Florida Panthers. They ceded top-pair defender Brandon Montour to the Seattle Kraken in this year’s free agent market. That left Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling standing alone on a defense that won last year’s Stanley Cup on the back of a tremendously deep blue-line. Jones could be the piece that spurs that weakness. Montour recorded a dazzling 73 points in 80 games with the 2022-23 Panthers, in a role that allowed him to drive the puck down the ice with little worry. Long-distance control and playmaking are Jones’ speciality, and what supported him to a career-high 57 points next to Zach Werenski on the 2017-18 Blue Jackets.

Chicago will find just as sweet of a match with their new additions. Knight was a premier youth hockey prospect and earned a first-round selection in the 2019 NHL Draft after two strong years with the U.S. National Team’s Development Program. He broke into the NHL two years later and quickly flashed as someone who could eventually challenge Sergei Bobrovsky’s starting role. Knight recorded a .909 save percentage and 23-9-3 record across his first 36 NHL games, and first two pro seasons.

But his play took a hard hit in the 2022-23 campaign, and Knight made the decision to enter the NHL Player’s Assistance Program in February of that year. The decision ended his season early, and the Panthers opted to deploy Knight as their AHL starter in the ensuing 2023-24 campaign. He took to the role phenomenally, recording a 25-14-5 record and .905 Sv% in 45 games with the Charlotte Checkers. That was enough to earn Knight a jump back to the NHL backup role this year, where he’s continued to perform well – with a .907 Sv% and 12-8-1 record on the year.

Knight has had an up-and-down journey through the NHL – but he’s never played poorly for more than a short stretch. In fact, he hasn’t at any point in his hockey career recorded a save percentage below .900 across a full season. In his pro career, Knight has a .906 in 80 NHL games and a .905 in 58 AHL games.

Those numbers are beyond serviceable, and the former 13th-overall draft pick will now get a chance to show he can sustain them in a starter’s role. The Blackhawks’ crease is wide open with veteran Petr Mrazek struggling to stay above water this season. Mrazek has posted a .890 Sv% and 10-19-2 record – his worst numbers since he played 18 games with the Maple Leafs in the 2021-22 season. Mrazek’s slow play has landed him in the midst of trade rumors.

Those rumors won’t be helped along by the acquisition of a new top goaltender, though the Blackhawks could afford to ease Knight into what is sure to be a bombarded role. Mrazek recorded the most losses (31) and sixth-most shots against (1,724) last season. Since Mrazek joined the Blackhawks in 2022, only one goalie with more than 100 games played has faced more shots against-per-60 – Anaheim’s John Gibson, who has faced two more shots-per-60 than Mrazek.

That’s the setup of an incredibly difficult role – one that will be hard to turn over to the technically unproven Knight. The Blackhawks find themselves dead-last in the Central Division with March rolling around. With the season already lost, and surely more deadline moves awaiting them, the Hawks could dedicate the remainder of the year towards feeling out a new look to their roster of the future. If all goes well, former top pick Knight will lead the crop in net.

Meanwhile, Florida will have to find a new man to back up Bobrovsky’s heavy utilization. Longtime NHL backup Chris Driedger has served as the most-used netminder for the AHL’s Checkers, though he’s split time with career minor leaguer Ken Appleby. Appleby has posted the better stat line of the two – with an 11-7-1 record and .908 SV% to Driedger’s 10-6-4 record and .878 SV%. They’ve played 19 and 20 games respectively. But both veterans have been outdone by second-year pro Cooper Black, who has a dazzling .921 SV% and 7-2-1 record in 10 appearances this year. The strong AHL performances are a bit of a surprise, given Black started the year with a 4-3-0 record and .886 SV% in seven ECHL games. Nonetheless, he could be the sneaky pick to earn an NHL look should Florida want to find ways to lean into their young options, rather than turning towards their pair of perennial backups.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Seth Jones, Blackhawks Discussing Trade Possibilities

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Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones has been the focal point of trade rumors spanning the last few seasons, but it seems the chances of a move are heating up ahead of next month’s Trade Deadline. Jones told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that he’d welcome a move if Chicago can find one, though he hasn’t yet formally requested a trade. Jones said, “If it happens, it happens. Obviously, while I’m here with the Blackhawks, they have my full effort [and] full attention.” He added that he’d hope a trade would give him a chance to join a playoff contender.

The Blackhawks have reportedly been contacted by multiple teams interested in acquiring Jones, but his lofty contract is a wedge in any negotiations. He’s in year three of an eight-year, $76MM contract signed on the same day he was traded to Chicago in July of 2021. His $9.5MM cap hit makes Jones the seventh-most expensive defender in the NHL, but his 26 points in 38 games this season ranks 14th in points-per-game among defensemen. Jones’ stat-line is rounded out with a minus-12, 16 penalty minutes, and 55 hits – continuing to paint him as a high-offense, low-defense puck-mover.

Jones has stood as Chicago’s number-one defenseman through each of the last four seasons, rivaling an average of 25 minutes of ice time in every year. He’s totaled 145 points in 255 games with the Hawks – the third-most of any Chicago defender since 2000, behind Blackhawks legends Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Jones hasn’t led the team to the same heights as his company, but he has provided a consistent, veteran presence in front of a rebuilding Chicago lineup. The Hawks haven’t helped Jones along too much either. They’ve finished seventh or eighth in the Central Division and ranked in the bottom-four of NHL scoring in every year he’s spent with the club. Jones has been vocal about the emotional weight of that persistent losing in the past, telling Pope last season that the losing nature isn’t fun for anyone involved.

A timely trade to a playoff contender could go a long way towards spurring the 30-year-old Jones. He’s still a productive scorer capable of filling important roles at even-strength and on special teams. If a team can work around his hefty cap hit, Jones could be a quick way to boost the blue-line on a playoff hopeful. Chicago will likely need to retain part of his salary to make that happen, and may need convincing before they part ways with their clear-number-one. But top prospects like Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel are both commanding more respect in Chicago’s pipeline, and could be apt replacements for Jones should his top-end role open up.

Central Injury Notes: Murphy, Jones, Martinez, Smith, Landeskog

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The Chicago Blackhawks blue line could be thin before tomorrow’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Thankfully for the Blackhawks, this situation is not expected to last long.

Defenseman Connor Murphy, currently on the injured reserve list due to a groin injury, is nearing a return to the active roster after fully participating in today’s practice. However, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that he will not be ready for tomorrow’s game. Additionally, he mentioned that defensemen Seth Jones and Alec Martinez may also miss the game due to illness.

If Chicago has only five healthy defensemen available, they will probably make a brief call-up. With two open roster spots, they don’t need to make any corresponding roster moves. However, this would result in having an abundance of left-handed defensemen for at least one game.

Other injury notes from the Central Division:

  • In Chicago, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reported that forward Craig Smith has returned to practice wearing a non-contact jersey. Smith has been recovering from a persistent back injury for the past two months, during which he missed 12 days in mid-December and another 17 days in January. So far this season, he has scored six goals and recorded 11 points in 30 games with the team.
  • Outside of more immediate news, the potential return of captain Gabriel Landeskog has been a major storyline for the Colorado Avalanche over the last two years. Speaking to that, Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette reported today that Landeskog has been on the ice more than ever since the 2022-23 season, and fell short of designating him as week-to-week. Landeskog’s hypothetical return could make the loss of Mikko Rantanen more palatable for Colorado’s top-six.

Multiple Teams Calling The Blackhawks About Seth Jones

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Teams are reportedly calling the Chicago Blackhawks to check on the availability of veteran defenseman Seth Jones (as per TSN’s Darren Dreger). Dreger revealed the information on today’s segment of Insider Trading and noted that the Blackhawks aren’t proactively shopping the 30-year-old.

Facilitating a trade of that magnitude would not be easy given that Jones carries a $9.5MM cap hit for an additional four seasons after this one. Jones also carries a full no-movement clause as part of his contract, meaning that he would have full control of where he goes which would further complicate an already difficult move.

Chicago’s trade to acquire Jones was a bit of a headscratcher when it was made back in July 2021. The Blackhawks were mired in mediocrity at the time and gave up a package that included defenseman Adam Boqvist, the 12th and 44th overall picks in 2021, and a 2022 first-round pick that eventually turned into the sixth overall pick. Chicago then handed Jones an ill-advised eight-year, $76MM contract extension right before setting out on a full rebuild.

Jones’s offensive numbers have been okay since joining the Blackhawks, as he has posted 28 goals and 106 assists in 245 games. However, his defensive work has left a lot to be desired as he’s posted a -103 plus/minus rating in four seasons, which is among the worst in the NHL during that time. Jones’s net clearing ability and rush defense continue to be a major issue that hasn’t improved over time, with no better example than in a 5-2 loss to Calgary earlier this week.

Jones isn’t likely to be traded given all the hurdles that would need to be cleared to make a move, but right-handed defensemen are always at a premium and Jones eats up a ton of ice time, having averaged 25:19 per game since he joined the Blackhawks (third in NHL behind Drew Doughty and Cale Makar). At the end of the day, the decision will be up to Jones as he holds the no-movement clause and can decide his own destination should he want to leave Chicago.

Chicago Blackhawks Activate Seth Jones From IR

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The Chicago Blackhawks are getting a major boost to their blue line. The organization announced they’ve activated defenseman Seth Jones from their injured reserve after missing the last 16 games with a right foot injury.

Jones’ activation couldn’t come soon enough for the Blackhawks. Through the first 17 games of the year with Jones on the roster, Chicago managed a 6-10-1 record with a -10 differential. In the 10 games following Jones’ exit from the lineup, the Blackhawks only had two wins while producing an identical -10 rating. The team has played better of late meaning Jones will only add to the current momentum.

The injury also came at a bad time for Jones personally. He got off to a solid start to the 2024-25 NHL season with two goals and 10 points in 17 games. Should he have continued his scoring pace throughout the regular season unencumbered, he would have finished with 10 goals and 49 points.

Jones can only finish the season with 66 games played meaning his eventual output should be similar to recent campaigns. He’s finished the last two years with 37 and 31 points respectively, a far cry from his five-goal, 51-point performance from 2021-22.

Still, Jones has unequivocally the most responsibility on Chicago’s blue line. He’s averaged 25:26 of ice time over 234 games played with the Blackhawks while playing in all situations. It might be a difficult transition for Jones tonight in his first game in over a month but it’s what’ll be required of him on a needy Blackhawks’ roster.

No corresponding roster move is necessary for Chicago given they only had 21 players on the active roster. However, one player is coming out of the lineup as Jones’ activation gives them seven defensemen.

According to Daily Faceoff’s projected lineups, that player is understandably youngster Kevin Korchinski. He’s scored zero points in six games for the Blackhawks this season and will likely head to Chicago’s AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, in due time.

Blackhawks Notes: Sorenson, Mrazek, Jones

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Scott Powers of The Athletic writes about Chicago Blackhawks interim head coach Anders Sorensen. Powers says that the major change for Chicago has been on the forecheck where the team has deployed a more aggressive forecheck, rather than the conventional 1-2-2 that former head coach Luke Richardson liked to utilize. Sorensen’s structure does make the Blackhawks more prone to odd-man rushes, but it should allow the team’s offense to have more opportunities to put the puck in the net.

The Blackhawks’ defensive structure has also changed since the move to a new coach. Sorensen’s style has Chicago’s defensemen less concerned about getting back to defend and more apt to move up in the play to try and suppress opposing plays earlier as well as being involved more in the offensive zone.

In other Blackhawks notes:

  • Injured Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek skated this morning before the team’s morning skate (as per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio 720). He has been dealing with a left groin strain but was called “Real close” by Sorensen when asked about a return to the lineup. The 32-year-old dressed in 20 of the Blackhawks’ first 27 games but hasn’t played since December 7th. He is not playing tonight but could return on Thursday when Chicago takes on the Seattle Kraken.
  • Blackhawks injured defenseman Seth Jones also skated today and was upgraded to day-to-day (as per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio 720). Jones isn’t playing tonight and has not played since November 14th, missing 14 games thus far with an injury to his right foot. Jones appears close to a return and, much like Mrazek, could do so on Thursday against Seattle. The 30-year-old was playing a ton before his injury, averaging 25:43 of ice time per game. Jones has dressed in 17 games this year, posting two goals and eight assists.

West Notes: Jones, Larsen, Lomberg, Stephens

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Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones skated before practice today as he works his way back from a right foot injury, notes WGN Radio’s Charlie Roumeliotis (Twitter link).  The 30-year-old was originally pegged to be out around four weeks with the injury and he has missed the last three so resuming on-ice skating now suggests he’s pretty much on track in his recovery.  Jones has played in 17 games so far this season where he has 10 points while logging 25:43 per night, his highest ATOI since his first season with Chicago back in 2021-22.

More from out West:

  • The Flames announced (Twitter link) that assistant coach Brad Larsen has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the team to attend to a family matter. Larsen is in his first season with Calgary after joining them as an assistant coach this past offseason following a year away from the league after being fired as head coach with Columbus after two seasons.
  • Still with the Flames, winger Ryan Lomberg did not accompany the team on its trip to Dallas and won’t be in the lineup tonight, relays Sportsnet 960’s Derek Wills (Twitter link). His absence isn’t injury-related; instead, he stayed back in Calgary to be with his wife with the birth of their child pending.  Lomberg has three assists, 22 penalty minutes, and 47 hits in 27 games this season in his second stint with the Flames after signing a two-year, $4MM contract with them back in July.
  • A day after being sent to the minors, the Kraken recalled center Mitchell Stephens per the AHL’s transactions log. The move ultimately allowed them to delay his waiver clock by one day.  The 27-year-old went into today’s action with four games played with Seattle where he had been held off the scoresheet in a little over nine minutes per game of ice time.

Blackhawks Place Seth Jones On IR, Recall Louis Crevier

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Nov. 20: Jones will miss four weeks with the right foot injury, head coach Luke Richardson said Wednesday (via Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times). He’s already missed two games and is now on pace to miss around 11 more, ruling him out for more than 15% of Chicago’s season in total. A four-week timeline from the date of the injury means his return target is during their back-to-back against the Devils and Islanders on Dec. 14 and 15.

Nov. 16: The Blackhawks have placed defenseman Seth Jones on injured reserve with a right foot injury, relays Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (Twitter link).  Taking his place on the active roster is blueliner Louis Crevier who has been recalled from Rockford, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Chicago currently has 22 players on its roster following the moves.

Jones sustained the injury against Seattle on a blocked shot but remained in the game, adds Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, who adds more information will be known when they return home from their road trip on Sunday.

The 30-year-old has once again been a significant piece on Chicago’s back end, leading the team in average ice time at 25:43 per night.  Jones also leads the Blackhawks in points by a defenseman with 10.  Covering his absence will certainly be a difficult task, one that won’t be handled by just one or two players.

To that end, Crevier is more of a depth recall over someone who could be expected to play a little higher in the lineup.  The 23-year-old, who stands 6’8, got into 24 games with Chicago last season in his first taste of NHL action, compiling three assists, 50 blocks, 30 hits, and a minus-16 rating.  This year, he has played in 11 games with the IceHogs, notching one assist.

While this might have seemed like a situation to bring up Kevin Korchinski (who logged 19:37 per night for the Blackhawks last season and could have helped cover some of the missing offense), it appears Chicago feels that he’s best served staying with Rockford for the time being.  Artyom Levshunov, a right-shot option like Jones, is also available but just eight games into his pro career, they’d like to keep him away from the top level for at least a little while longer.

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