![\"Seth](\"https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Seth-Jones_USATSI_17128690-1-1024x508.jpg\")
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The NHL Trade Deadline is less than two weeks out, and the Blackhawks have sprinted out of the break with all of the news. Seth Jones<\/strong> is stirring a lot of the conversation around the league at this point after making his trade request public last week. As the dust kinda sorta settles around that, the conversation around the how\/where\/why is adding layers by the day. And, now that it\u2019s out there, Jones\u2019 teammates are answering questions about his demand.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, you wish he felt differently, but he has his reasons, and rightfully so,\u201d Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno said Saturday. \u201cIt\u2019s how he feels.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s my best effort to bring a lot of the Jones-Blackhawks trade commentary together for consideration and discussion.<\/p>\n On Monday morning, the latest edition of the \u201c32 Thoughts\u201d Podcast dropped and they spend a solid six minutes or so talking about the Jones situation. Elliotte Friedman had one comment that was particularly interesting, saying he feels this entire situation is being driven more by the player than the organ-I-zation. And, if the Blackhawks can\u2019t make a move that\u2019s satisfactory to their overall building plan, they won\u2019t move him before the deadline.<\/p>\n As they shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Friedman mentions Columbus as a potential landing spot, which isn\u2019t a shock after Jones had dinner with a few former teammates while the Blackhawks were there and talked glowingly about his time playing with Zach Werenski.<\/p>\n The Godfather, Bob McKenzie, was on the Canadian broadcast\u2019s intermission last night and they talked about Jones (of course). Interestingly, he said the belief is the Blackhawks are looking for young players\/prospects who are either in the NHL or ready for the NHL and not picks in a deal for Jones. That would be a slight change of course for the Blackhawks\u2019 front office \u2014 but one that makes sense.<\/p>\n McKenzie includes Dallas and Florida as potential suitors. The Florida Panthers are a fascinating team for me in this entire mix because Aaron Eklbad, their top pair right-handed defenseman, is a free agent after this season. And they might have some LTIR space open up if Matthew Tkachuk is going to miss an extended period of time after suffering an injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off (and that seems to be a likely outcome at this point).<\/p>\n It was shared with me last night that apparently on ESPN\u2019s intermission report Kevin Weekes jumped into the mix on the Jones talk and said the Blackhawks might need to find another team to help make the money work. I respect Weekes\u2019 takes and sources and think he does a good job, but I can\u2019t see a scenario where that happens at all. For a team to eat money as a third wheel until 2030 makes no sense to that team or the Blackhawks and Jones\u2019 ultimate destination.<\/p>\n Chicago has plenty of cap space to waste on retained salary between now and the end of his contract and, frankly, nobody is saying the Blackhawks will even had to retain half of his cap hit (except fans that just irrationally hate Jones).<\/p>\n If that\u2019s what the league-wide folks are saying, what about the folks in the press box at the United Center every night? There are varying takes from the beat writers who cover the Blackhawks on a daily basis as well.<\/p>\n Mark Lazerus hit us with a really good column after the game last night at The Athletic<\/em>. A few nuggets from it:<\/p>\n \u201cIf anyone on the Blackhawks has the right to say \u201cget me out of here\u201d during Year Whatever of a however-many-year rebuilding plan, it\u2019s [Connor<\/strong>] Murphy<\/strong>, by far the team\u2019s longest-serving player. His timeline and the Blackhawks\u2019 timeline simply don\u2019t line up. And surely some contender would be happy to acquire a steady second-pair defenseman who can play on either side, who\u2019s not afraid to throw the body around and who\u2019s great in the room. But Murphy hasn\u2019t asked out. Not explicitly, anyway. \u2026<\/p>\n \u201c[It] still has to gnaw at [Nick<\/strong>] Foligno<\/strong>, who instead of chasing that elusive Stanley Cup in his late 30s is pouring his heart and his soul and the twilight of his career into trying to build a positive, winning culture in Chicago, planting crops he\u2019ll likely never get to harvest. It has to eat at Tyler Bertuzzi<\/strong> and Teuvo Ter\u00e4v\u00e4inen<\/strong>, who signed multi-year contracts to be part of the long-term solution here.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n That perspective from the guys in the room who aren\u2019t bailing at this point is well stated. As is this nail on the head comment:<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t some franchise icon, a longtime legend by whom they have to do right. Davidson\u2019s only obligation is to the Blackhawks, and if it takes him four months or four years to find the right taker for Jones, so be it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Kyle Davidson's obligation is to the Blackhawks, not Seth Jones. But will circumstances force the GM's hand?My column:www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/615…<\/p>\n — Mark Lazerus (@marklazerus.bsky.social)<\/a> 2025-02-24T13:41:24.282Z<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/span>Friedman\u2019s Latest<\/h2>\n
<\/span>McKenzie Weighs In<\/h2>\n
<\/span>Weekes\u2019 Take<\/h2>\n
<\/span>Chicago\u2019s Finest<\/h2>\n
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