The Blackhawks are covering 26% of Seth Jones’ salary, which amounts to roughly $2.5 million per year. Meanwhile, Florida’s next game is at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.
This trade is another major move for the Panthers, who already have key players like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, Carter Verhaeghe, and Gustav Forsling signed for at least three more seasons. Now, they’ve added a top-tier defenseman in Jones, who remains under contract through 2030.
“Seth is an elite veteran defenseman and a proven leader in our league,” said Panthers general manager and president of hockey operations Bill Zito. “He has been one of the most consistent players over the past decade, serving as a reliable workhorse on both ends of the ice. He will help our club continue to compete at the highest level.”
Jones, now 30, was selected fourth overall by Nashville in the 2013 NHL Draft—two spots behind Barkov, whom Florida chose second that year. At the time, Jones was the top-ranked North American prospect, and there was speculation the Panthers might take him instead.
They ultimately picked Barkov, but over 11 years later, the two are now teammates.
“I have a competitive nature, and I get that from my parents,” Jones said back in 2013. “You always want to prove people wrong and show them why they should have picked you.”
Jones jumped straight to the NHL after being drafted, starting with the Predators before spending six seasons in Columbus and the last four in Chicago.
During his time with the Blackhawks, the team never made the playoffs, and with Chicago out of contention again this year, Jones requested a trade about a week and a half ago.
“I’ve been here the last four years, through probably the darkest times the Blackhawks have seen in a while,” Jones said last month. “I think things are improving, but my timeline might not align with the Blackhawks’ plans.”
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson acknowledged that Jones’ comments played a role in expediting the trade.
“I felt a little more urgency once that became public,” Davidson told Chicago Sports Network on Saturday night.
Ultimately, Jones wanted to join a contender and agreed to waive his no-trade clause to move to Florida. Over his career, he has recorded 97 goals and 335 assists in 839 games but hasn’t played in the postseason since the 2020 bubble.
His father, Popeye Jones, played 11 seasons in the NBA.
“No trade is easy, but I think we found a great outcome for the organization,” Davidson said.
As part of the deal, the Blackhawks acquired goaltender Spencer Knight, the 13th overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Boston College. Knight has been with Florida for five seasons, posting a 44-25-7 record with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. This season, he has a 12-8-1 record as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup.
“We’re getting a really exciting young talent, very technically sound, and a winner at all levels,” Davidson said. “We loved him in the draft, and he has succeeded everywhere he’s played.”