Chicago Blackhawks to acquire Seth Jones from Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus #Columbus
6:58 PM ET
Emily KaplanESPN
Close Emily Kaplan is ESPN’s national NHL reporter.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have agreed to trade Seth Jones to the Chicago Blackhawks, sources said, and the veteran defenseman will sign an eight-year extension with an average annual value of $9.5 million with his new team.
The Blackhawks are receiving a first-round pick (No. 32 overall) in Friday night’s draft as part of the deal as well as the Blue Jackets’ sixth-rounder in 2022, sources said. It wasn’t immediately clear what package was being sent to Columbus.
Jones, 26, is in the final year of a six-year, $32.4 million contract that pays him $5.4 million annually. He told the Blue Jackets he wanted to test free agency next summer, which instigated a trade.
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The Blue Jackets hold three first-round picks in Friday’s NHL entry draft.
Jones was originally drafted No. 4 overall by the Nashville Predators in 2013. He was traded to Columbus in 2016, his second NHL season, for center Ryan Johansen.
Jones carried a 10-team no-trade list.
The Blackhawks recently traded a franchise cornerstone, defenseman Duncan Keith, to the Edmonton Oilers. As part of the trade, Chicago acquired defenseman Caleb Jones — Seth Jones’ brother.
In 381 career NHL games, Jones scored 50 goals and 173 assists while averaging more than 24 minutes a night. He finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting in 2018.
Jones is expected to be a strong candidate for the 2022 U.S. Olympic team, should the NHL and NHLPA complete a deal with the IOC for NHL players to return after skipping the 2018 Olympics. Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman is serving as GM of Team USA.