Blue Jackets Trade Seth Jones, 32nd Overall Pick, 2022 Sixth-Round Pick To Blackhawks For Adam Boqvist, 12th Overall Pick, 44th Overall Pick, 2022 First-Round Pick

Posted on July 23, 2021 by Harrison Brown
Photo: Bleacher Nation

The Columbus Blue Jackets traded right-handed defenseman Seth Jones in addition to the 32nd overall pick in Friday’s 2021 NHL Draft and a 2022 sixth-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night in exchange for right-handed defenseman Adam Boqvist, the 12th overall pick in Friday’s draft, a 2022 first-round pick, and the 44th overall pick.

Jones, 26, is entering the final year of a contract that carries a $5.4 million cap hit and contains a 10-team no-trade clause. It is believed that the Blue Jackets traded him to Chicago because they are one of the clubs that he is willing to sign a contract extension with, which would get them a higher return. Jones will sign an eight-year contract extension that carries a $9.5 million cap hit with the Blackhawks when he becomes eligible to do so on Wednesday, when free agency opens.

Jones recorded five goals, 28 points, a -18 rating, a 48.22% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, a 45.52% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and a 46.09% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage while averaging 25:14 per game (fifth in the NHL), including 2:00 on the power play and 1:56 on the penalty kill, in 56 games with the Blue Jackets last season.

The loss of Jones makes the Blue Jackets’ defense (which finished tied for seventh-worst with the Blackhawks with a 3.29 goals-against per game average), power play (27th with a 15.4% rate), and penalty kill (tied for the 11th-worst with the Ottawa Senators with a 79% efficiency) worse after they were already near the bottom of the league in those categories.

In 580 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators, Jones has posted 65 goals, 286 points, and a -25 rating. The best season of his NHL career came in 2017-18, when he set career-highs in goals (16), assists (41), points (57), and tied his personal-best in plus-minus (+10) with the Blue Jackets.

In 37 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, Jones, who was not interested in signing a contract extension in Columbus, has recorded five goals, 24 points, and a -11 rating.

Jones was traded by the Predators, who picked him fourth overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, for center Ryan Johansen on January 6, 2016.

Boqvist, 20, posted two goals, 16 points, a -7 rating, a 48.85% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, a 46.75% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and a 48.9% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage this past season. The eighth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft has six goals, 29 points, and a -10 rating in 76 career games, all with the Blackhawks.

Boqvist, who averaged 16:59 per game (including 3:23 on the Blackhawks’ power play), can become a restricted free agent after this season.

The Blue Jackets get assets back for Jones in their rebuild after they finished last in the Central Division with an 18-26-12 record last season. They parted ways with head coach John Tortorella after the season and promoted assistant Brad Larsen to replace him.

The Blue Jackets currently have $28,367,471 in cap space.

Jones was willing to sign a contract extension with just the Blackhawks and Dallas Stars. He will have the third-highest cap hit among NHL defensemen when his contract kicks in after this season behind Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks ($11.5 million) and Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings ($11 million).

The Blackhawks traded right-handed defenseman Duncan Keith to the Edmonton Oilers earlier this month for left-handed defenseman Caleb Jones, Seth’s brother, and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

The Blue Jackets also acquired left-handed defenseman Jake Bean from the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday for the second-round pick that they received from the Blackhawks in the trade that featured Jones.

The 23-year-old recorded a goal, 12 points, a -2 rating, a 52.4% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, a 51.77% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and a 52.86% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage in 42 games this past season. Bean averaged 14:32 per game last season (including 55 seconds on the power play and 17 on the penalty kill), 13th overall in 2016. He can become a restricted free agent next week.

By Harrison Brown

About Harrison Brown

Harrison is a diehard Caps fan and a hockey fanatic with a passion for sports writing. He attended his first game at age 8 and has been a season ticket holder since the 2010-2011 season. His fondest Caps memory was watching the Capitals hoist the Stanley Cup in Las Vegas. In his spare time, he enjoys travel, photography, and hanging out with his two dogs. Follow Harrison on Twitter @HarrisonB927077
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