More updates continue to come out regarding a potential trade with the Chicago Blackhawks and Seth Jones leading up to the March 7 deadline. The front office has already made one move well before the deadline when they shipped out Taylor Hall to the Hurricanes as a part of a three-team trade on January 23.
The rumors between the Blackhawks and Seth Jones looking to find a trade partner over the last couple of weeks have been very real. Jones is currently in the second season of the seven year extension he signed in Chicago after being traded from Columbus in the 2021 offseason.
For the sake of getting at least some of Jones’ $9.5 million salary per year off of their books, the Blackhawks are hoping to swing a deal with the 30-year-old defensemen. There should be a couple of suitors interested in Jones as the deadline looms, but a new report reveals that there might be less urgency on the Chicago front office than it originally seemed.
NHL insider gives an interesting update on a Seth Jones trade
NHL insider Elliotte Freidman talked all things related to the trade deadline in the latest episode of his podcast, 32 thoughts. He revealed a new detail about the Blackhawks and their willingness to move Jones. It appears that more pressure currently sits on Jones and his camp rather than Chicago’s front office.
“I think the Hawks have indicated that if it doesn’t work, I don’t think they have a problem with keeping him,” Friedman said. “This sounds like it’s more Jones driven, than Blackhawks driven.”
Jones had mentioned repeatedly that he would like to play for a winner and even though he has a lot of years left on his deal, he knows that his best years at the NHL level are numbered. A good amount of contending teams should have interest in Jones, especially if the Blackhawks can eat some of his salary or a third party broker is found.
Chicago’s front office might not have the same sense of urgency that Jones has to get a deal done, but they should at the very least be taking the phone calls they receive as seriously as possible. With the team hoping to get a near NHL ready talent as the center piece of a package for Jones, there could be some very enticing pieces out in the trade market for them to pursue.
The Chicago Blackhawks era with Seth Jones was a massive failure
There is no doubt that the Seth Jones led defensive era in Chicago has been a complete disaster. The former Blue Jacket was a Stan Bowman acquisition right before the 2021 draft and his contract has been the one thing that has held this team back over the last couple of seasons.
Jones’ production has been perfectly fine in his time as a Blackhawk, but he isn’t worth the near $10 million a season that he is set to make for the next half decade. The sooner a deal can be made, the better it will be for both parties. Jones will get the opportunity to play for a contender, and Chicago will have a chance to play more of their young defensemen while getting some salary cap space back for the upcoming offseason.
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