Report: 6 Teams Linked to Blackhawks' Seth Jones

The Chicago Blackhawks have been made aware by defenseman Seth Jones, he prefers to be moved to a contender before March 7. Jones has been unhappy with how the Blackhawks have not taken a step forward this season, in the second year of the Connor Bedard-era.

Jones is a tough trade candidate due to his inflated contract, earning $9.5 million AAV through the 2029-30 season. He holds a full no-movement clause and certainly controls his own destiny. While there's been a lot of chatter about where Jones will end up, Sportsnet's Emily Sadler linked Jones to six teams, including one of Jones' old stomping grounds.

Sadler sees one of the Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, Utah HC, Vegas Golden Knights or Carolina Hurricanes landing the right-handed defenseman, but the more interesting part could be what kind of package the Blackhawks land for Jones. 

Chicago will need to retain at least a couple of million from his AAV, which means Blackhawks' GM Kyle Davidson could drive up the asking price if he agrees to eat some of Jones' remaining salary.

So far, with less than a week to the deadline, reports have surfaced that Jones prefers to move to his hometown Dallas Stars. 

Who doesn’t love a homecoming story? That’s what a Jones-to-Dallas deal would be, considering the defenceman hails from Arlington. Bringing Jones into a situation that already boasts Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Thomas Harley would be a case of the rich getting richer — and while it could look a little crowded considering the club recently acquired Cody Ceci from the Sharks, there is a path here when it comes to contracts. In addition to short-term cap flexibility as a result of long-term injuries for Tyler Seguin and Heiskanen, the Stars have money coming off the books this summer with Jamie Benn, newly acquired Mikael Granlund, Matt Duchene, and Evgenii Dadonov all pending UFAs.

The deadline is set for Friday at 3pm.

Photo credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images