Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones doubled down on his trade request on Friday speaking to Scott Powers of The Athletic.
The veteran confirmed that he, his agent Pat Brisson, and the Chicago Blackhawks are discussing a potential move ahead of the March 7 deadline, with the goal of landing him on a playoff-caliber team.
“I’ve been here the last four years through probably the darkest times the Blackhawks have seen for a while,” Jones said. “I think things are moving up, they are moving forward. But I think my timeline might be different than the Blackhawks.”
Then, on Wednesday, two Stanley Cup favorites emerged as the top candidates to land Jones via trade ahead of the March 7 deadline.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Dallas Stars are at the top of Jones’ preferred destinations, as the franchise looks to add defensive depth.
The Dallas Stars, according to league sources, would top the wish list for Jones—Dallas being his hometown,” LeBrun reported.
Coincidentally or not, LeBrun followed that statement by mentioning another contender in the Florida Panthers, writing, “Would the Florida Panthers make sense given that Aaron Ekblad is a pending UFA who hasn’t been extended?”
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added that Florida, in fact, could also be in the mix, noting on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (h/t Jim Biringer of NHL Trade Talk) that the Panthers have been searching for a right-shot defenseman all season.
“The team I really wonder about is Florida,” Friedman said. “They have been looking for a right-hand shot all year, and there are connections here. Bill Zito Columbus, right?
“Also, if Matthew Tkachuk is out for the regular season and we’re still waiting for them to update his timeline, then they can do it. So, to me, I see a hockey fit, a personal fit, and potentially a cap fit there, at least for this year.”
Jones, 30, carries a $9.5 million cap hit through 2028, and insiders believe Chicago would need to retain salary or take on contracts to facilitate a deal.
LeBrun noted that “if the Blackhawks are able to move Jones, it will require either retaining salary or taking back a bad contract.”
Neither the Stars nor the Panthers have enough cap room to land Jones’ salary even if Chicago retains part of it, meaning they’d need to make up for that by sending salary the other way or finding a way to clear space.
As Friedman pointed out, if the Panthers place Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve until after the final day of the regular season they’d remove his $9.5 million cap hit from their books, making way for Jones to arrive in Florida without having to navigate any cap-related issues.
