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The NHL world was shocked on Saturday when the Florida Panthers pulled off a surprising trade for Seth Jones. The veteran is already making his presence felt for the defending Stanley Cup champions, playing 22:56 minutes of ice time in his debut on Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Following the contest, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice had high praise for Jones.
Via NHL.com:
“Seth was real valuable tonight, that’s an awful lot of minutes against that power play,’’ Maurice said. “He’s going to be really good for us. He moves the puck clean and has a set of hands on him. I thought, from flying from Anaheim (Sunday) to get here, and then having everything being brand new, he was basically playing on instinct out there.”
Jones had to jump on a plane over the weekend and get to Florida in a hurry, but it didn't stop him from playing well in his first game with the Panthers. Jones has been on a struggling Chicago Blackhawks squad for the last 3.5 seasons and voiced Monday morning that he is hungry to play meaningful hockey in the playoffs:
“I wanted to play for a contender and Florida was obviously at the top of my list when it came to that,” said Jones, who hasn't appeared in a playoff game since 2020. “I want to fit in with this team, be a part of the system, come and bring my game, play hard defensively, help a little bit offensively, really just fit into the system and bring what I can, whatever’s asked of me.”
Jones is a solid fit for the Panthers. He's scored seven goals and supplied 20 assists this season and gives Florida another reliable defenseman who can also contribute offensively.
Monday night was just a glimpse into what Jones can bring to the table for this club as they eye another Stanley Cup.
