Florida Panthers Pull Off Blockbuster Trade For Top Pairing Defenseman, Put Leafs on Notice

Following a trade request from top defenseman Seth Jones, the Chicago Blackhawks made it known that they were not going to sell themselves short and were happy to hold onto the 30-year-old if they could not find the right deal.

Fortunately, it appears as though they found the right deal on Saturday with the Hawks sending the 2013 fourth-overall pick to the Florida Panthers in a blockbuster trade.

The Panthers will acquire Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick in exchange for goaltender Spencer Knight and a 2026 first-round pick.

The first-round pick the Hawks acquired from the Panthers will slide to their 2027 first-round pick if they trade their 2026 first-rounder before next year's draft.

Many thought moving Jones' contract would be difficult, but the Hawks were willing to retain $2.5M per season over the remaining five years of his deal, allowing for some cap flexibility for the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

In retaining salary on Jones, the Blackhawks will be unable to be a broker on any further trades this season as they have filled all three retention spots after retaining in the Jake McCabe trade in 2023 and the more recent Mikko Rantanen deal. That is not of any real long-term concern for the Hawks, however, as both McCabe and Rantanen will come off the books on July 1st.

The move solidifies the blueline for the Panthers, and it puts the rest of the Atlantic Division, especially the Leafs, on notice.

With one week until the deadline, Brad Treliving will be under an immense amount of pressure from fans to do something as big or bigger for the Leafs in hopes that they will be able to outduel any team they face in the Eastern Conference come playoff time.