Blackhawks trade Jones to Panthers for Knight, 1st-rounder

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 is 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 blue-liner - has been a minute-munching, top-pair defenseman for the majority of his 12-year career. He's recorded seven goals and 20 assists in 42 games with the Blackhawks this season while averaging 24:30 per contest - 12th highest among NHL skaters.

He's averaged 42 points per 82 games over his career. His best season came in 2017-18 with the Columbus Blue Jackets when he set career highs with 16 goals and 57 points and finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting.

Jones was drafted fourth overall by the Nashville Predators but only spent parts of three seasons in the Music City before he was dealt to Columbus in 2016 for Ryan Johansen. Panthers general manager Bill Zito worked in the Blue Jackets' front office during Jones' tenure in Columbus. Chicago acquired Jones in a 2021 trade with the Jackets and promptly signed him to an eight-year, $76-million extension.

With the Blackhawks sitting second last in the NHL standings, Jones informed the club earlier this month that he wanted to be dealt to a contender. The Dallas Stars were reportedly the preferred destination for the Arlington, Texas, native.

However, Jones figures to be a strong fit with the Panthers, filling a clear need on the right side of the blue line after Brandon Montour departed as a free agent last offseason. Jones projects to link up with Niko Mikkola on the club's second pair.

Knight, meanwhile, is in the midst of his best season and projects to be the Blackhawks' goalie of the future. He had quietly outplayed veteran teammate Sergei Bobrovsky with a .907 save percentage and 9.1 goals saved above expected in 23 appearances this season, per Evolving-Hockey.

The Panthers drafted Knight 13th overall in 2019. He broke into the NHL in 2021 following a standout NCAA career at Boston College where he was a first-team All American. He also represented the United States numerous times on the international stage before turning pro, notably backstopping his country to gold at the 2021 World Junior Championship.

He posted a .906 save percentage across his first three NHL seasons before spending the latter half of the 2022-23 campaign in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He spent the entirety of 2023-24 in the AHL but has rebounded strongly this year.

Knight is signed through next season with a $4.5-million cap hit. He'll be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal and won't be unrestricted until 2028.

It's unclear how the Blackhawks will split the crease moving forward. Veteran Petr Mrazek is still under contract through next season, while 25-year-old Arvid Soderblom is waiver eligible and has been the better of the two this year.

The Panthers now have question marks in their crease behind Bobrovsky. Veteran Chris Driedger and 6-foot-8 prospect Cooper Black are the only other goalies under contract. Black has vastly outplayed Driedger in the AHL this season but only has 18 games of professional experience.