There are a few positive about the Memorial Day weekend starting off with rain. Normally I’d be at some bar drinking whatever cheap beer is on tap. Instead, I was able to take a deep look at the news that Seth Jones might want out of Columbus.
For those who don’t know, the fourth overall pick from the 2013 NHL Draft reportedly told the Columbus Blue Jackets he doesn’t intend to re-sign with the team after his contract expires next season. If he leaves Columbus, it will be his third NHL team.The team that drafted him, the Nashville Predators, traded him in a deal for Ryan Johansen in early 2016.
By now you know how this works. First, a big name player says he might leave his tem. Second, you wonder if they would be a good fit with the New Jersey Devils. Third, we tell you if it’s a move worth making or not.
The State Of Columbus
By no means would I say Columbus is heading towards a rebuild, but instead they may be heading for a reset. If there was ever a time for a rebuild, it was two summer ago when Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene all left in free agency. They didn’t, and still ended up making the playoffs the next season. However, after this year, where the team missed the playoffs and lost their head coach, changes are forthcoming.
The argument can be made for Columbus both keeping and trading Jones. He’s one of the team’s longest-tenured players and still in his prime. If they can find a way to have his change his mind and re-sign, they might not need to go into as deep of a rebuild. If a divorce is imminent, they can get a valuable trade package for such a great young defenseman.
Should the Devils Trade For Him?
Seth Jones has one more year remaining on his contract, so if any team gets him for this upcoming season it will have to be via trade. Trading for a rental defenseman is the type of move contenders make. The Devils are nowhere near contending for a Stanley Cup.
As enticing as Jones may be, the team would have to give up too much for no guarantee he stays beyond 2021-2022. It’s like when the New York Islanders traded for Thomas Vanek, only to have him turn down an extension and sell him at a discount during that same season’s trade deadline to the Montreal Canadiens.
So Is There Any Hope?
Aside from the Vanek comparison, another closer comparison would be the deal that sent Erik Karlsson from the Ottawa Senators to the San Jose Sharks during the 2018 offseason. San Jose was a cup contender who got Karlsson with one more year left on his contract. San Jose ended up signing him to a massive 11-year contract extension.
Fast forward to now where the Sharks are a Western Conference basement dweller with a daunting rebuild in front of them. The assets they gave up in the Karlsson deal brought them further away from their next Stanley Ciup window than they want to admit. Also, Karlsson is still getting paid that massive contract. Not to mention Karlsson doesn’t have the best injury history.
What does this have to do with the Devils and Seth Jones? Whoever ends up trading for Seth Jones, if that’s the path Columbus decides to go down, will be in a similar situation as the Sharks were in 2019. The Karlsson contract serves as a tale of caution for other NHL teams who might not be willing to shell out that same amount of money and that same term. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has made things even worse by leaving the NHL’s salary cap flat.
So, should the Devils trade for Seth Jones from the Columbus Blue Jackets? Absolutely not. But if Jones hit the free agency market come the 2022 offseason the Devils have the resources to bring him to Jersey. They shouldn’t over pay, but there’s a lot less concerns with the Devils cap situation than some other teams. By then maybe the team will have grown enough and taken a decent step forward that Jones sees potential here and could be a valuable addition.
Have patience, Devils’ fans. If Jones is coming here that’s the best way to handle it. Overpaying for a short-term trade is something that won’t work. Just ask the San Jose Sharks.