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The Chicago Blackhawks continue to trudge through another difficult rebuilding season despite the offseason additions of multiple new veteran faces into their lineup; they're currently in 32nd place in the NHL with a disappointing 6-12-1 record.
And unfortunately, they were just dealt a difficult blow. Top defenseman and assistant captain Seth Jones will be absent for the foreseeable future after suffering a foot injury on November 14 at Climate Pledge Arena when the visiting Blackhawks took on the Seattle Kraken.
According to head coach Luke Richardson, Jones will miss at least the next four weeks. He was disappointed at the timing of Jones' injury considering how well he was playing, via NHL.com.
“Unfortunate for us and him, he was rolling along pretty good,” Richardson said Wednesday. “But that’s just the nature of the business.”
Meanwhile, defenseman Alex Vlasic spoke at length about the overall presence of Jones on both sides of the puck, noting that his absence will leave a considerable void.
“He’s got a calming presence back there with the puck,” Vlasic said. “It’s safe to say when he’s out there you trust him and you’re not worrying about things going wrong or him necessarily making any mistakes. He’s very steady and the mistakes he does make he’s able to make up for with his defensive skill, not only the defensive side but offensive as well.”
Without Jones, the Blackhawks will continue their schedule by hosting the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at United Center.
Blackhawks defenseman leads all NHL players in average ice time
To say that Jones' absence will leave a considerable hole in the lineup would be a massive understatement. Not only is he Chicago's top blue liner, but he also leads all Blackhawks players – as well as all NHL players – by averaging 25:43 of ice time per game this season.
In the 17 games Jones has played in 2024-25, he's scored twice while adding eight assists. He's also in the fifth season of an eight-year, $76 million deal given to him by former Chicago general manager Stan Bowman.
