The NHL trade deadline is six days away, but the first major trade has already happened.
According to multiple reports, the Blackhawks are trading 30-year-old defenseman Seth Jones to the Panthers after the veteran requested a trade. Less than three years ago, the Blackhawks acquired Jones and gave him an eight-year, $76 million contract, but Chicago’s struggles have them pivoting off the deal already.
In return, Florida is sending Chicago one of their top young players and a future pick. Here are the full trade details for this blockbuster.
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Seth Jones trade details
Panthers acquire:
- Seth Jones
- 2026 4th-round pick
Blackhawks acquire:
- Spencer Knight
- 2026 or 2027 1st-round pick
Jones goes from Chicago to Florida along with a mid-round pick for goalie prospect Spencer Knight and a first-round pick, per multiple reports. Jones has five years left on his eight-year deal at $9.5 million per season, and the Blackhawks will retain 26 percent of that contract by paying around $2.5 million each year.
For the Blackhawks, Chicago gets Knight as the big piece of the trade. The 23-year-old was the Panthers’ first-round pick in 2019 at No. 13 overall, and he’s played in 80 games over four seasons in his career with a 44-25-7 record.
Knight should become the Blackhawks top goaltender, as veterans Petr Mrazek and Arvid Soderblom have platooned in net this year. Additionally, Chicago will get either the Panthers’ 2026 or 2027 draft pick depending on if Florida keeps their 2026 pick through the 2025-26 season.
The condition on the first round pick in the Seth Jones trade: it’s a 2026 first going to Chicago but if Florida ends up not having that pick then it moves to a 2027 first round pick which goes to the Blackhawks instead. So Chicago getting either the ‘26 or ‘27 first rounder
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 2, 2025
Jones has 27 points in 41 games for Chicago this year, but he requested a trade earlier this season, as the Blackhawks are once again one of the worst teams in the league. He now joins the defending champions who are looking for back-to-back titles.
