Blackhawks will be winners at the deadline even if they can’t trade Seth Jones

The Blackhawks want to trade Seth Jones and he’s not shy about wanting to play for a different organization. And who could blame him, considering the current situation in the Windy City? Still, trading Jones wouldn’t be the easiest move, considering his $9.5 million cap hit that could send teams running. 

Still, Jones has shown he’s more than worth the money. No, he hasn’t fared well in points over the past few seasons, with 37 in 2022-23, 31 last season, and just 26 so far this year. But he’s also a solid player, at worst, on a hockey team that still can’t figure out how to score consistently. 

That said, it’s hard to place these so-so performances on Jones, as only the best of the best would thrive in this environment, and that’s still pushing it. But teams will look at those numbers and they’ll see that, despite Jones’ presence, that the Hawks still aren’t a great hockey team and that Jones has done little to help them. 

Add in that $9.5 million cap hit, and it’s easy to see why some teams who otherwise look like good fits for Jones will back off. But if money became an issue and nobody decided to trade for Jones, would it be hopeless for Blackhawks fans? Probably not. 

Blackhawks will either get a fair deal for Seth Jones or he’ll stay and help

While Seth Jones made it clear he’d rather continue his career elsewhere, don’t think he’d let it affect his play on the ice if he stuck around in the Windy City. Instead, Jones would still give this dysfunctional Blackhawks team a veteran presence, and one who would step up his own play, as there would always be the chance the Hawks could move him over the summer. 

Should Jones get things going again in the points column and resemble the defenseman he was in 2021-22 when he put up 51 and five goals in 78 games, someone out there would be looking to make a deal with general manager Kyle Davidson and they wouldn’t bat an eye. That said, Jones has a lot to play for even if he finished the season with the Hawks. 

The Blackhawks are winning out regardless of when they move Jones

Regardless of what happens, expect the Blackhawks to win out. They’ll likely retain some of Jones’ contract, but sending him elsewhere will still give them even more cap space than they already have. Secondly, moving Jones almost guarantees at least one high draft pick and a top prospect, maybe even an NHL-ready one, and that will make them better at the deadline. 

Even more, should the Hawks be unable to trade Jones now and they waited until the summer to move him, there’s a chance he could even warrant a better deal. If he played a sound game from now until then, there’s no doubt in my mind a would-be contender in 2025-26 and beyond will pay top compensation for one of the Blackhawks top defenseman. 

So, this is one of those situations where the Blackhawks aren’t losing unless Kyle Davidson undervalues Jones and botches this trade.