The Chicago Blackhawks traded defenseman Seth Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Florida Panthers for goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-rounder, the teams announced.
Chicago will retain $2.5 million annually of Jones’ $9.5-million cap hit. The 30-year-old is signed through 2029-30 and waived his no-movement clause to join the defending Stanley Cup champions.
The first-round pick will move to 2027 if Florida doesn’t have its 2026 selection. If the Panthers’ 2025 first-rounder lands in the top 10, Florida sends its 2026 first-rounder to the Calgary Flames as part of the 2022 Matthew Tkachuk trade.
Jones, a 6-foot-4, 213-pound right-shot defenseman, has been a top-pair blueliner throughout most of his 12-year career. He’s recorded 7 goals and 20 assists in 42 games with the Blackhawks this season.
He’s averaging 24:30 of ice time per game – ranking 12th highest among all NHL skaters.
Over his career, Jones has averaged 42 points per 82 games. His best season came in 2017-18 with the Columbus Blue Jackets when he set career highs with 16 goals and 57 points, finishing fourth in Norris Trophy voting.
The Predators drafted Jones fourth overall, but he spent only parts of three seasons in Nashville before being traded to Columbus in 2016 for Ryan Johansen. Panthers GM Bill Zito worked in the Blue Jackets’ front office during Jones’ time in Columbus. The Blackhawks acquired Jones in a 2021 trade and signed him to an eight-year, $76-million extension.
With Chicago sitting second-last in the NHL standings, Jones informed the club earlier this month that he wanted to be traded to a contender. The Dallas Stars were reportedly the preferred destination for the Arlington, Texas, native.
Jones fills a clear need on the right side of Florida’s blue line after Brandon Montour left in free agency last offseason. He’s expected to pair with Niko Mikkola on the club’s second defensive unit.
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Gustav Forsling | Aaron Ekblad |
| Niko Mikkola | Seth Jones |
| Dmitry Kulikov | Nate Schmidt |
Knight is having his best NHL season and projects to be Chicago’s goalie of the future. He’s outplayed veteran teammate Sergei Bobrovsky with a .907 save percentage and 9.1 goals saved above expected in 23 appearances this season, according to Evolving-Hockey.
The Panthers selected Knight 13th overall in 2019. He joined the NHL in 2021 after a standout career at Boston College where he was a first-team All American. Knight also represented the United States internationally, leading his country to gold at the 2021 World Junior Championship.
He posted a .906 save percentage across his first three NHL seasons before spending part of the 2022-23 season in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Knight spent all of 2023-24 in the AHL but has rebounded strongly this year.
Knight is signed through next season at $4.5 million. He’ll be a restricted free agent after that deal expires and won’t reach unrestricted free agency until 2028.
It’s unclear how the Blackhawks will handle their goaltending situation moving forward. Veteran Petr Mrazek remains under contract through next season, while 25-year-old Arvid Soderblom is waiver eligible and has performed better than Mrazek this year.
The Panthers now face questions in net behind Bobrovsky. Veteran Chris Driedger and 6-foot-8 prospect Cooper Black are their only other goalies under contract. Black has significantly outperformed Driedger in the AHL this season but has only 18 games of professional experience.
