Report: Seth Jones won’t re-sign with Columbus Blue Jackets
The hits keep coming to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
After losing superstar Artemi Panarin in free agency last year, Seth Jones has reportedly informed the club he won’t be re-signing next offseason, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Friedman said while nothing is set in stone, Friedman said it appears Jones wants to test free agency.
Jones, 26, will be coming off a six-year deal paying him an AAV of $5.4-million. He’s spent the last six years with the Blue Jackets appearing in 381 games scoring 50 goals and 223 points.
According to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, the team was reportedly ready to offer him a massive deal.
This is a devastating blow for the organization.
The Blue Jackets were prepared to offer Jones, 26, what would have been almost certainly the largest contract in franchise history, and they likely would have named him the club’s next captain if he’d signed long term.
But none of it, apparently, was enough to convince the perennial Norris Trophy candidate to spend his prime years in Columbus.
Not only does it continue a slow march of talent away from the Blue Jackets organization — Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, Josh Anderson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, et al. have all left since the end of the 2019 playoffs — but it raises the worrying question of what further fallout this could create?
Do the Blue Jackets move to trade Jones this summer?
Kekalainen indicated to The Athletic earlier this month that he planned to keep Jones into next season — even without an extension in place — in the hope that Jones would somehow change his mind.
But much has changed with the Blue Jackets since Kekalainen made those comments.
Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators, Jones was traded to the Jackets on Jan. 6, 2016 in exchange for Ryan Johansen.
According to hockeyviz.com, Jones provides offensive value at a six percent rate below league average and defence at a four percent rate below league average.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.