COLUMBUS, Ohio — Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones has talked about his interest in a possible trade after each of the team’s last three on-ice sessions. He continues to be remarkably open and honest about it.
After practice Friday, he doubled down on what he first discussed Wednesday with the Sun-Times — that he would like to be traded to a winning team.
“I just want to compete in the playoffs every year,” Jones said. “Whether that’s this year or next year or the year after, [it’s] whatever it is. But [I’m seeking] a team that’s not in a rebuild, that has pieces already to it, that’s ready to go.”
“I’ve been here the last four years, through probably the darkest times the Blackhawks have seen in a while. I think things are moving up and moving forward, but my timeline might be different than…the Blackhawks’. It’s nothing against anybody. I’m not holding it against anybody, what they decided to do here. But sometimes it’s not in everyone’s plans.”
Jones added that this idea has been “thrown around” for a while between him and his agent, Pat Brisson, but they recently decided to “push the needle.”
That explains some of Jones’ honesty about the subject. Making his wishes public puts more pressure on Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson to try to make something happen. It also alerts other teams around the league that he’s available, perhaps piquing their interest.
To Jones’ credit, he has been consistently open and honest throughout his Hawks tenure. He has never shied away from uncomfortable topics or objective analysis of his or the team’s struggles, which has been admirable.
His openness is only acceptable and healthy from a team standpoint, though, if its ripple effects don’t create a distraction in the locker room. On that front, captain Nick Foligno adamantly insisted Saturday they wouldn’t.
“[Seth will] continue to show up,” Foligno said. “He’s going to continue to do what he needs to do to help this team be successful, and himself. That’s the most important thing. I don’t have to worry about that with Seth.
“Whether he feels a certain way, I can’t control that. It’s his own life, his own career. You support him and obviously wish he felt differently, but he has his reasons, and rightfully so. It’s how he feels…but it’s never going to bleed into his game. I know that for a fact. [If] he has a rough night, [the narrative] shouldn’t be, ‘He doesn’t care.’ Seth cares a lot.”
Interim coach Anders Sorensen echoed that message, noting that Jones is “very well-liked in the locker room, so I don’t see an issue there.”
