Seth Jones is tired of losing.
He notably called out his teammates last night after his club’s defeat because he is disgusted by the team’s poor play and inability to improve.
The defender and the Hawks are discussing a trade to allow him to go win elsewhere.
But we all know what the problem is with Seth Jones in terms of a possible trade: his contract.
At $9.5 million per year, it’s expensive for a defender who has averaged 40 points in his last three seasons… and the fact that his contract ends in the summer of 2030 (!) doesn’t help either.
The Hawks will likely have to retain some of his salary in order to trade him, to put it another way.
And for what it’s worth, Georges Laraque and Stéphane Gonzalez (BPM Sports) have discussed the idea of going to get him in Chicago.
The former Canadiens player would like to make a trade of this kind… if the Hawks retain a third of Jones’ salary.
With Jones at $6 million per season, he would even be willing to give up the Flames’ first-round pick to bring him to town:
I’d do it right away. 100 miles per hour. – Georges Laraque
He would like to see what Jones could do if he were well-surrounded in a team with talented players like the one in Montreal.
Because in Chicago, aside from Connor Bedard, it’s pretty thin…
Again, what bothers me about the idea is Jones’ contract (even if it’s $6 million per season). He’s 30 years old and has already started showing signs of slowing down…
The Canadiens won’t be able to afford having a large negative contract on their books when they try to win the Stanley Cup. And Jones’ contract could quickly become a burden for the Canadiens, even if the salary cap goes up in the coming years…
But if we look at the other side of the coin, it could allow the Canadiens to take their time with David Reinbacher.
It would allow Kent Hughes to trade Logan Mailloux this summer to go get a top-6 pick, and it would also add experience to a blue line that’s not very old. Maybe it would also encourage the Canadiens’ GM to trade David Savard…
On paper, the idea makes sense when we look at the positive aspects that come from it. But at the same time, it doesn’t fit with the plan of Kent Hughes and the organization.
I don’t see the Canadiens’ GM trading for a guy in his thirties who’s not the defender he used to be and who still has five years left on his contract after this season…