The Columbus Blue Jackets have agreed to trade Seth Jones to the Chicago Blackhawks, sources told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, and the veteran defenseman will sign a seven-year extension with an average annual value of $9.5 million with his new team.
It wasn’t immediately clear what others players and/or draft picks were involved in the deal.
Jones, 26, is in the final year of a six-year, $32.4 million contract that pays him $5.4 million annually. He told the Blue Jackets he wanted to test free agency next summer, which instigated a trade.
The Blue Jackets hold three first-round picks in Friday’s NHL entry draft.
Jones was originally drafted No. 4 overall by the Nashville Predators in 2013. He was traded to Columbus in 2016, his second NHL season, for center Ryan Johansen.
Jones carried a 10-team no-trade list.
The Blackhawks recently traded a franchise cornerstone, defenseman Duncan Keith, to the Edmonton Oilers. As part of the trade, Chicago acquired defenseman Caleb Jones — Seth Jones’ brother.
In 381 career NHL games, Jones scored 50 goals and 173 assists while averaging more than 24 minutes a night. He finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting in 2018.
Jones is expected to be a strong candidate for the 2022 U.S. Olympic team, should the NHL and NHLPA complete a deal with the IOC for NHL players to return after skipping the 2018 Olympics. Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman is serving as GM of Team USA.