For an outsider looking at the Blackhawks’ list of contracts, anyone would do a double take – even with several players being signed to high-dollar contracts last summer, Chicago has a huge outlier on the books. Defenseman Seth Jones, who has been a polarizing player during his time with the Blackhawks, makes a whole $4 million per year more than Tyler Bertuzzi, the next-highest mark.
It’s no secret that Jones’ contract is one of the worst in the NHL when it comes to Chicago’s bang for its buck. While the 30-year-old minute-munching blueliner enjoyed a successful stretch of games in January, it hasn’t been his best season. He’s often slow to get into position in the defensive zone and has made plenty of costly blunders. Jones’ effort has been called into question over the past year, often being the last player on the ice and the first player off it.
The problem – Jones’ contract is nearly impossible to move. No one wants to take a $9.5 million AAV on a player like him until 2030. At the same time, Chicago can’t afford to retain some of his salary – owing money to a non-roster asset for that long is never a good idea, especially with the Blackhawks looking to get back into contention soon. He also has a full no-move clause, which won’t necessarily be an issue but adds an extra layer of difficulty.
Despite the difficulties that come with trading Jones, the polarizing defenseman has finally made it clear that’s what he wants to happen. On Wednesday, he told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that he wants to win soon, and that he doesn’t feel that opportunity is in Chicago.
“I would like to give myself a chance to win in my career. I know that the money is not an easy thing to move, and that’s what we’re figuring out. If it happens, it happens. Obviously, while I’m here with the Blackhawks, they have my full effort [and] full attention to this team to try to get this team better.”
– Seth Jones
While the Blackhawks will want to do right by Jones by dealing him, it’s important to note that Chicago doesn’t necessarily have to trade him. It would be nice to get his contract off the books and is certainly a worthwhile endeavor. But the Blackhawks will have to do a bit just to get back to the cap floor this summer, and the cap should go up by several million dollars. They certainly don’t want to include a high-value prospect or other asset just to get rid of him.
Jones obviously hasn’t formally requested a trade, so there’s nothing too urgent about the situation and Chicago still has some leverage. But between an upcoming frenzy and a highly anticipated summer window, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him shipped elsewhere. It’s at least interesting that those talks are beginning to happen.
