5 Trade Landing Spots for Seth Jones amid NHL Rumors
On Jan. 16, TSN's Darren Dreger reported teams were calling the Chicago Blackhawks about Seth Jones. He said general manager Kyle Davidson wasn't shopping the 30-year-old defenseman but clubs were calling about his availability.
Jones is in the third season of an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $9.5 million. It also includes a full no-movement clause.
It's been a difficult season for Jones. His rebuilding team is stuck at the bottom of the overall standings with little hope of making the playoffs. He missed 16 games this season with a foot injury and has struggled at times since his return.
When healthy, Jones is a skillful all-around defenseman who can log big minutes. He's a right-shot blueliner and could be in demand among teams lacking depth at that position. His stats have suffered with the rebuilding Blackhawks, but they could improve on a better club.
Jones' contract remains a significant obstacle to a trade. Interested teams could prefer Chicago retain up to half of his annual salary, but they could be resistant to retaining that much for six seasons. However, having half his cap hit on their books could be better than his full salary. A three-team trade that spreads his cap hit around is another possibility.
The salary cap for next season is projected to rise by $4.4 million to $92.4 million, but it could go higher than that. That could make some clubs more willing to take on the full amount of his remaining contract.
Chicago could seek draft picks and prospects as part of the return for Jones. It would also likely want a good player in his 20s who could help accelerate the team's rebuilding program.
Here's a look at five clubs that could become trade destinations for Jones if he agrees to waive his no-movement clause.
Do you agree with our choices? Are there other clubs you believe are better suited for Jones? Let us know in the app comments below.
Carolina Hurricanes
1 of 5
A deep defense corps was the hallmark of the Carolina Hurricanes' rise among the Eastern Conference's top teams since 2020-21. However, their depth took a hit last summer with Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce departing as free agents.
Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov are eligible to become unrestricted free agents this summer. Burns will turn 40 on March 9, and his performance has declined this season. The Hurricanes will need to replace him at the very least. Jones could replace Burns as their first-pairing right-shot defenseman alongside Jaccob Slavin.
Chicago could be interested in young defenseman Alexander Nikishin but the Hurricanes won't part with their top prospect. Defense prospect Dominik Badinka could be an option. The Hurricanes might have to include a first-rounder in the deal or Chicago could also seek a player in their mid-twenties such as Jesperi Kotkaniemi or Jack Drury.
The Hurricanes possess $3.9 million in projected trade deadline cap space. One or two salaried players would have to go the other way in the deal or it might have to be a three-team deal to make Jones' cap hit more affordable. Otherwise, this type of move might have to wait for the offseason when teams are flush with cap space.
Dallas Stars
2 of 5
After two consecutive seasons as Western Conference Finalists, the Dallas Stars are considered among this season's Stanley Cup contenders. However, the depth on the right side of their blue line is thin behind top rearguard Miro Heiskanen, which could prove costly to their hopes for a Cup run this season.
The Stars possess $5..6 million in projected trade deadline cap space. However, they're expected to place sidelined center Tyler Seguin on long-term injury reserve before the deadline, freeing up his $9.9 million cap hit.
That would give the Stars plenty of cap room to acquire Jone's full cap hit, though they'd likely prefer Chicago to retain part of it. He would give the Stars another big-minute blueliner on the right side, easing some of Heiskanen's workload.
The Stars have their first-round pick for this season and the next two to draw on for trade capital. Chicago could seek top prospect Lian Bichsel but the Stars could counter with Christian Kyrou. Rookie forward Mavrik Bourque could also be part of the return.
Detroit Red Wings
3 of 5
An ongoing issue for the Detroit Red Wings is the lack of skilled right-shot defensemen behind first-pairing blueliner Moritz Seider. It's hampered their efforts to emerge from years of rebuilding into a serious playoff contender.
The Red Wings' right-side blue-line depth will get thinner when Jeff Petry comes off the books as a free agent this summer. They need a reliable, big-minute rearguard to relieve Seider's heavy workload.
Jones could be a good fit for the Red Wings. They also have a projected trade deadline cap space of $14.9 million, which could easily accommodate his full cap hit, though the Wings would likely prefer Chicago retain a portion of it. Adding him now could improve their chances of securing their first playoff berth since 2015-16.
The Wings have all their first-round picks and two third-rounders in this year's draft to use as trade bait. They won't part with promising defenseman Simon Edvinsson but Chicago could push for prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who shone for Sweden at this year's World Juniors. Rookie center Marco Kasper could also be part of their asking price.
Florida Panthers
4 of 5
The Florida Panthers' depth on the right side of their defense corps could be an issue as they attempt to defend the Stanley Cup. Brandon Montour's departure as a free agent last July weakened that depth. Meanwhile, long-time Panthers Aaron Ekblad has been sidelined since Jan. 11 with an undisclosed injury though he is reportedly making progress.
Ekblad is also slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. They could re-sign him to less than market value if he intends to stay, but they'll still need to add someone who can log big minutes on the right side.
Cap space will be an issue for the Panthers before the trade deadline unless they can free up some space to acquire a defenseman. Pursuing someone like Jones could have to wait until the offseason when they'll have a projected cap space of $20 million if the cap rises to $92.4 million next season.
The Panthers lack picks in the first three rounds of this year's draft but could draw on their 2026 or 2027 first-rounders. They also have two fourth-round picks and two fifth-rounders in this year's draft. Their prospect pool is ranked 32nd by The Athletic. Still, GM Bill Zito is a savvy wheeler-dealer and could find a way to make a competitive offer for Jones.
Washington Capitals
5 of 5
As management retooled the roster, the Washington Capitals weren't expected to be a playoff contender this season. However, they find themselves at midseason jockeying for first place in the overall standings.
This unexpected regular-season success could have Capitals management becoming buyers by the March 7 trade deadline. They could consider adding depth to their blue line, especially with long-time Caps defenseman John Carlsson now 35 and a year left on his contract.
Jones could be a good addition now and over the long term, becoming Carlsson's replacement should he retire or depart as a free agent in 2026. He could also be insurance in case Jakob Chychrun departs this summer via free agency. If Chychrun stays, he and Jones could form a solid top-pairing blue-line tandem.
The Capitals possess $3.7 million in trade deadline cap space so they'll have to shed salary or wait until the offseason when they'll have a projected $29 million under a $92.4 million cap. The Capitals have all their first-round picks and can draw on a deep prospect pool that includes forwards Ryan Leonard, Andrew Cristall, and defenseman Cole Hutson.
Salary and draft pick info via PuckPedia. Line combinations via Daily Faceoff. Prospect info via The Athletic.
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