Matt Ross: Trade Thoughts: Knight for Jones

You know with Jones, here's the thing - in Chicago - set aside, the lack of talent, etc for a number of years- here's a guy who was gift-wrapped the opportunity to be the main guy on D for years to come. Meaning as in - the number 1 D on the team. I don't care about the minutes he ate up either - he simply wasn't ever a #1 guy.

He was paid like it, -all that, but he just simply never had it in him.

I don't know about getting caught down low so much, as he literally had no clue what to do in odd-man breaks. And worse, he tended to leave his feet out of desperation, and ended up more than once, sliding into his own goalie. I don't wish the guy ill, or anything - but, he never was #1 d man material - he will need assistance from a puck mover, as he deferred way too much to anyone else which became a factor in D-zone exits.

As long as you got a true #1 or a stable of guys that fit that bill already, as a supporting piece, it might work. Given the results of last season ... Florida is going to be ok in that regards.

You should try to snag Quick, Reimer or Lyon for a 3rd rounder

It should have been straight-up Jones for Knight. The Panthers overpaid by giving them a first-round pick on top of that. They overpaid for Claude Giroux, giving up Tippett and a first-rounder. He is depleting the prospects coming up from the minors, and sooner than later, it's going to catch up to them.

You know with Jones, here's the thing - in Chicago - set aside, the lack of talent, etc for a number of years- here's a guy who was gift-wrapped the opportunity to be the main guy on D for years to come. Meaning as in - the number 1 D on the team. I don't care about the minutes he ate up either - he simply wasn't ever a #1 guy.

He was paid like it, -all that, but he just simply never had it in him.

I don't know about getting caught down low so much, as he literally had no clue what to do in odd-man breaks. And worse, he tended to leave his feet out of desperation, and ended up more than once, sliding into his own goalie. I don't wish the guy ill, or anything - but, he never was #1 d man material - he will need assistance from a puck mover, as he deferred way too much to anyone else which became a factor in D-zone exits.

As long as you got a true #1 or a stable of guys that fit that bill already, as a supporting piece, it might work. Given the results of last season ... Florida is going to be ok in that regards.
- SC116

Thanks for the break down

I'm with you on the thought of Jones being paid/given the "keys to the castle" to be THE guy in Chicago, but he didn't run with it.

Forsling and Kulikov are solid traditional defensemen. Mikkola is sort of a hybrid. I'm guessing the parings look something like this. No need for Jones on first pairing IMO:

Forsling - Ekblad
Mikkola - Jones
Schmidt - Kulikov

It should have been straight-up Jones for Knight. The Panthers overpaid by giving them a first-round pick on top of that. They overpaid for Claude Giroux, giving up Tippett and a first-rounder. He is depleting the prospects coming up from the minors, and sooner than later, it's going to catch up to them.
- madhatter56

My guess is the 1st was a sweetener for the Hawks to retain the $2.5 M?

I'm thinking the CHI probably wasn't going to retain much, so maybe Zito floated the 1st out there to make the Hawks eat salary for the next 5 years.

Enemy alert. Lightning fan here.

The Jones trade is intriguing. I have always been a hawks fan as well and was optimistic about Jones.

However, until recently, I never heard him speak up.

He has talent and may be the type of guy, like OEL last year, who surrenders and fits in. He can be super useful.

The risk is that he really does not have the heart to do what it takes to play playoff hockey and win cups.

Could he be a Horace Grant, and be a nice piece that plays well without the lights shining brightly on him?

Looks like Jones will in fact wear #3.

My favorite number and a classic defenseman digit

Mr. Laus is smiling somewhere...

Enemy alert. Lightning fan here.

The Jones trade is intriguing. I have always been a hawks fan as well and was optimistic about Jones.

However, until recently, I never heard him speak up.

He has talent and may be the type of guy, like OEL last year, who surrenders and fits in. He can be super useful.

The risk is that he really does not have the heart to do what it takes to play playoff hockey and win cups.

Could he be a Horace Grant, and be a nice piece that plays well without the lights shining brightly on him?
- TrueGrit

Thanks for chiming in, TGrit.

Yea, it’s going to be interesting. If he doesn’t have to be “the man” maybe that frees him up mentally to play a better game? Who knows…

I’m with you on questions regarding his compete/desire.

Should be interesting to see how it goes.

It should have been straight-up Jones for Knight. The Panthers overpaid by giving them a first-round pick on top of that. They overpaid for Claude Giroux, giving up Tippett and a first-rounder. He is depleting the prospects coming up from the minors, and sooner than later, it's going to catch up to them.
- madhatter56

Chicago retaining $2.5 million a year for five fears isn’t free.

The Blackhawks couldn't give this guy away. The Panthers have an overpaid, mediocre defenseman who everybody skipped over in the year he was drafted. He finally fell to number 4 to the Nashville Predators. At least Dale Tallon had enough sense to draft Barkov instead of this soft defenseman.

Thanks for chiming in, TGrit.

Yea, it’s going to be interesting. If he doesn’t have to be “the man” maybe that frees him up mentally to play a better game? Who knows…

I’m with you on questions regarding his compete/desire.

Should be interesting to see how it goes.
- Matt Ross

You guys have such a solid core locked in I dont think the 1st is going to be a detriment for the Panthers. After seeing how well any of our Flames have done when they got to Florida, I would bet Jones is probably going to elevate his game once he gets into a winning confident environment versus the Hawks dressing room. When guys like Bedard get frustrated with losing, you can imagine what it did to Jones level of play. Wonder if you guys are going to be able to pull a rabbit out & manage to get Benny extended. Im still pi$$ed at what Treliving gave him away for.

I wasnt SUPER in on Spencer although to his credit he appeared to be coming around lately.
What I am angry about is the timing. If we were going to trade Knight we should have done it off season. I know his value was diddly but the guys that we had to let walk just to keep that salary on was upsetting