The Blackhawks have opened the market for number-1 defenseman Seth Jones. How could Jones benefit from a trade and who are the frontrunners?

The Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly listening to trade offers for their number-one defenseman Seth Jones. Jones, 30, is locked up for the next five years with Chicago, getting paid $9.5 million annually. Despite the no-movement clause in his contract, the Blackhawks are willing to work on getting a deal going if the right offer is made. Among the 31 other teams in the league, here are three teams that just make the most sense for acquiring Jones.

Sending Jones Back to Columbus Just Makes Sense

Statistically, Jones saw his most success in Columbus. During his five-and-a-half-year tenure with the Blue Jackets, Jones scored 223 points (173 of which were assists). Ever since joining the Blackhawks, however, Jones has had a noticeable decline in his point totals and on-ice effort.

With the Columbus Blue Jackets competing for a playoff spot this year, adding Jones into the mix may not only benefit the team but also return him to his former glory. Columbus is 15th in the league with a 22-17-7 record on the year. Zach Werenski has played on point this season and deserves a right-hand man to play alongside him. Fortunately, Jones fits this role as he plays right defense and could easily strengthen their top defensive pair. Additionally, the Blue Jackets have plenty of cap space to make a trade work. With $20 million in cap space, Columbus won’t need a retained salary to acquire Jones.

Connor Bedard has been looking for the perfect linemate to play alongside, and so far, the Blackhawks have had no success in making it work. With both superstars Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller on the trading block in Vancouver, it would be the perfect opportunity to acquire a superstar but also dump some cap in the process.

Vancouver, on the other hand, has been looking for somebody to play alongside franchise defenseman Quinn Hughes. Just like with Werenski, Jones fits the need of a superstar right-handed defenseman. If he were paired with Hughes, Jones could potentially see a massive boost in his offensive numbers. A trade between the two teams could benefit both in the long run.

Ottawa Could Make a Squeeze To Acquire Jones

The Ottawa Senators are competing with the Boston Bruins for the first wildcard spot in the Atlantic division. With such a tight battle, Ottawa could make a trade to gain a significant edge on the competition. Acquiring someone like Jones could bolster Ottawa’s defense and make the right side stronger.

Currently, Ottawa’s best right-handed defenseman is Artum Zub, which isn’t the greatest, and adding Jones would help. Making a trade would be difficult, though, since the Senators have negative $2.24 million in cap space and would need to trade away a huge contract. Trading a high-priced contract like Josh Norris would be ideal since he is getting paid nearly $8 million a season for the next five years. Norris could also benefit Bedard and give him a skilled veteran to dish the puck from.