Florida Panthers Acquire D Seth Jones in Trade with Chicago Blackhawks
Sunrise, Florida
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers acquired defenseman Seth Jones in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.
Trade Details
Florida got Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick from Chicago for goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round pick in next year’s draft. The Blackhawks also are retaining 26% of Jones’ salary.
A Huge Acquisition for the Panthers
It is another huge acquisition for Florida, which already has key players like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, Carter Verhaeghe, and Gustav Forsling locked up for at least three more seasons after this — and now lands a top-line defenseman in Jones, who is under contract through 2030.
Quote from General Manager Bill Zito
“Seth is an elite veteran defenseman and a proven leader in our league,” said Bill Zito, the general manager and president of hockey operations for the Panthers. “He has been one of the most consistent players of the past decade serving as a reliable workhorse on both sides of the puck, and he will help our club continue to compete at the highest level.”
Bio and Career Highlights
The 30-year-old Jones was the No. 4 overall pick by Nashville in the 2013 entry draft, taken two spots after Florida chose its current captain, Aleksander Barkov, that year.
Jones went right to the NHL after the draft — starting his career with the Predators, then spending six seasons in Columbus and the last four seasons in Chicago.
Why the Trade Happened
The Blackhawks never made the playoffs in Jones’ tenure there and aren’t in postseason contention this year, which led to him asking for 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 moving up, they are moving forward. But I think my timeline might be different than … the Blackhawks.”
Conclusion
Jones’ desire to join a winning team led him to waive his no-trade clause to move to Florida. For his career, he has 97 goals and 335 assists in 839 games. He hasn’t appeared in a postseason game since the bubble season in 2020.
FAQs
Q: Why did the Panthers acquire Seth Jones?
A: The Panthers acquired Jones to strengthen their defense and add a top-line defenseman to their roster.
Q: What did the Panthers give up to acquire Jones?
A: The Panthers gave up goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round pick in next year’s draft.
Q: How long is Jones under contract?
A: Jones is under contract through 2030.
Q: What is Jones’ career statistics?
A: Jones has 97 goals and 335 assists in 839 games for his career.
