The past few years for the Blackhawks have been all about getting younger as they traverse a deep rebuild. Moves have constantly been made to ship out aging talent in favor of young, unproven prospects. The core group from the roster just a few years ago is almost completely gone.
On Thursday, that list of players grew even smaller. Though the Blackhawks seemingly had no intention of bringing back defenseman Caleb Jones, it’s still of note that he signed a one-year, $775,000 deal with the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday.
History
Jones was drafted in 2015 by the Edmonton Oilers, then signed his entry-level contract with the team the following April. He finally made his debut in 2018 with the Oilers, where he played until he was traded to Chicago in the summer of 2021. In 51 games the following season for the Blackhawks, Jones tallied 15 points along with a plus-minus of -3, proving he was a bright spot on a team that posted an ugly point differential over the course of the season.
This past season, Jones was primarily used on the third line, where he notched a career-high 16 points, but with a plus-minus of -19. He was used as a versatile player by the coaching staff throughout the year, and was constantly seen switching lines depending on the team’s needs. As a restricted free agent this summer, Jones was not re-signed by Chicago.
Though he was certainly a strong contributor in his own right, he was perhaps best known to Blackhawks fans as the younger brother of Seth Jones, who has, for better or for worse, become the face of Chicago’s defensive lines as the highest-paid player on the team.
Outlook
The younger of the two will join an extremely deep Hurricanes defensive group, and will likely serve as a backup in case any of the top six sustain injuries or are otherwise out. After earning $1.35 million with the Blackhawks last season, he’ll receive a decent pay cut, but is paid according to his expectations as a reserve.
The Hurricanes signed Jones for his experience as much as they did his on-ice talent, according to Canes GM Don Waddell:
“Caleb is a reliable, two-way defenseman. His NHL experience will help boost our depth on defense,”
– GM Don Waddell
Jones wasn’t a spectacular top-line defenseman during his time in Chicago, but he was an important versatile piece for the Blackhawks as they made it through an ugly rebuilding season. At just 26 years old, he has more than enough time to continue to become a central piece in his new defense.
