Should the Predators Consider a Reunion with Seth Jones?

Seth Jones was drafted fourth overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2013 NHL Draft. Since then, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets and then to the Chicago Blackhawks, experiencing virtually no playoff success.

With another unsuccessful tenure seemingly beginning to come to a close, Jones may find himself on the trade block again with teams inquiring about him, according to NHL insider Darren Dreger.

"It's not like Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks are shopping [Seth Jones]. I mean, he's got a pile of years left at $9.5 million AAV, his contract doesn't expire until 2029-30 and he has the full no-move clause across the board," Dreger said on TSN's "Insider Trading". "But look, he's a quality defenceman, and yes, teams are calling and they're asking about Seth Jones’ availability. So it's going to be something that we have to continue to watch as Kyle Davidson, again, puts some form of stamp in this fight to the rebuild of the Chicago Blackhawks."

Jones, 30, has roughly 5.5 years remaining on his contract at the $9.5 million cap hit Dreger mentioned - undoubtedly a massive contract that carries a lot of risk. But, given Jones has full control over his destination if he is traded from the Blackhawks, perhaps he'd be more motivated to play his best hockey for a contender?

The Predators' former top draft pick has not appeared in a playoff game since the end of his days with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020, and he's only exceeded 40 points once since putting on the Blackhawks uniform.

The Blackhawks, as we know, are a hopeless team with no aspirations or designs of making the playoffs soon, and Jones will be well into his 30s by the time they do.

Basically, Chicago has no real reason to keep Jones, but his contract makes it that much harder to offload him elsewhere. That doesn't apply to the veteran-laden Predators, though.

At the time of this writing, the Predators have $14 million in cap space and are projected to have a jaw-dropping $29 million in cap space by the time the trade deadline rolls around.

If the Predators are willing to heap Jones's exorbitant cap hit upon their books and get an asset or two from the Blackhawks for their time and money, why not?

Nashville has been much better lately, with a 6-4-0 record in its last 10 games, but let's face it: with a 17-22-7 record overall, it's highly likely that the 2024-25 season is over for this group. They also stormed into the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, and imagine adding a player with as much talent as Jones and carrying this newly found positive momentum into the 2025-26 season.

And yes, for as many flaws as Jones has defensively, he's a hulking presence at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, and excels at moving the puck. Recent trade acquisition Justin Barron, 23, is not prepared for the spotlight that comes with playing with Predators captain Roman Josi. The amateur turnovers he commits on a nightly basis suggest he may never be.

Beyond Barron, the Predators' options on the right side include 35-year-old Luke Schenn and 5-foot-9 tweener Nick Blankenburg. Both players are only signed through 2026 and bring very limited skill sets to the table.

Another thing to consider is that the Predators are 30th in the league in scoring among defensemen, with 76 total points. Just under half of those points (34) have come from Josi.

In Jones, the Predators would be getting, at the very least, a competent top-four defenseman with size, puck-moving ability, and the chops to quarterback a power play unit. The former No. 4 overall pick has produced 40 or more points in a season four times in his career, including two 50-point campaigns; one of which was as recent as the 2021-22 season.

So far this season, Jones has managed a respectable four goals, 16 assists, and 20 points rotting away on a Blackhawks team with very little proven talent outside of himself, Connor Bedard, Taylor Hall, Alex Vlasic, and Tyler Bertuzzi.

The Predators would have to give up very little, if anything at all, outside of their cap space to acquire Jones with no major re-signings on the horizon. It's also hard to be worse than 29th in the NHL, so aim for the stars and shoot for the moon.

Visit The Hockey News Nashville Predators team site to stay updated on the latest Predators news, game day coverage, player features, podcasts, and more.