Panthers believe former All-Star will fit in perfectly in South Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE – Seth Jones has one goal in mind.
“I want to play playoff hockey, and this is the No. 1 destination to do that,” the veteran defenseman said. “I wanted to play for a contender, and Florida was at the top of my list.”
He’s certainly come to the right place.
In addition to capturing their first-ever Stanley Cup last season, the Florida Panthers have appeared in a league-leading 45 playoff games during their back-to-back trips to the Final.
After being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in a trade for goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-round pick on Saturday, Jones, who also came packaged with a 2026 fourth-round pick, is now willing to do whatever it takes to get a taste of that success.
“When you look at the standard in the NHL, this is it,” Jones said during his introductory press conference at Baptist Health IcePlex on Monday. “The way they play, I keep saying the style of hockey, it’s physical, it’s in your face, and it’s aggressive, the defense pinches everything. Everyone works hard on both sides of the puck, and that’s the most important thing for me.”
Originally selected by the Nashville Predators with the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, Jones, who turned 30 in October, hasn’t played beyond Game 82 since 2019-20.
That season, he was manning the blue line for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Who was the team’s Assistant General Manager at that time?
None other than Panthers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Zito.
“We’re thrilled Seth is here,” Zito said. “We’ve known each other for some time.”
Like many of Florida’s current stars, a change of scenery should benefit Jones.
Prior to the trade, the 6-foot-4, 213-pound rearguard had posted 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) with Chicago, while also leading the team in average ice time per game (24:30).
Initially hoping to be the pillar of a contending club when he inked an eight-year deal with the Blackhawks in July of 2021, Jones quickly found himself on a rebuilding squad.
At the time of his trade to the Panthers, Chicago was 31st in the NHL with just 43 points.
Now, he finds himself on a team dreaming of another date with Lord Stanley.
“It’s obviously been a tough 3-4 years there in Chicago,” said Jones, who’s recorded 432 points (97 goals, 335 assists) in 839 career NHL games. “Not what I envisioned when I signed there as a free agent a few years ago. When it came to my game, I was just putting so much on myself to try and do it all, and that wasn’t the right thing. It was hard mentally.”
No longer carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, Jones finds himself surrounded by some of the top players in the NHL with the Panthers.
During his first morning skate, he took the ice with Niko Mikkola on the team’s second pairing.
With plenty of size, a good stick, great instincts and a knack for making a great first pass, Jones should blend in seamlessly with the Panthers once he learns the team’s system.
“He’s a big man that moves,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “The offensive part is there, but he wasn’t brought in for that. It’s the idea that he can play our game and can excel in our game. He’s a big man that covers an awful lot of ice. He’s got lots of experience.”
For the Panthers, it was also key that the Blackhawks retained 25% of Jones’ salary.
With that, his cap hit now sits at a manageable $7 million per season, according to PuckPedia.com.
Per Spotrac.com, that cap hit is tied for the 37th largest among NHL defensemen.
Already a good number, it will get even better in the years to come.
Right now, the salary cap is currently $88 million.
In 2027-28, it’ll have ballooned all the way to $113.5 million.
Signed through 2029-30, Jones is now one of seven core players the Panthers have under contract through that season, a group that also includes Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Gustav Forsling, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe.
“He’s not going to be a rental, that’s for sure,” Barkov said. “He’s here for a long time. That’s awesome. He’s one of the best defensemen in the world. Playing against him is always tough. He’s good at both ends of the puck. To add a guy like that is unbelievable.”
But when asked about Jones’ contract, Zito didn’t delve too much into the future.
For him, it was just an opportunity that was too good to pass up.
After all, right-shot defensemen that can play big minutes aren’t easy to come by.
“It all makes sense, and it all works out, but it’s really the player and what he does and how we think he can fit,” Zito said. “When you have players that have the capabilities that Seth has and you a chance to get them, you get them. That’s the simple equation.”
With the Panthers sitting just one point out of first place in the Atlantic Division at 37-21-3, Jones will look to make an immediate impact when he takes the ice in his first game since the trade against the in-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.
“I’m excited that this is my first game on this stage,” Jones said.
