In what feels like a broken record, yet another big name player wants out of Columbus Ohio. Defensemen, Seth Jones. This feels like a huge blow and from a PR standpoint it is. Recently Matt Duchene, Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky and now Seth Jones have or will have all left the Columbus Blue Jackets organization by this summer. Unlike Panarin, Jones is giving plenty of notice. Jones will likely be traded soon.
This is not in any way sour grapes. Seth Jones is a very steady and for the most part solid defensive player. Well he was, the past two seasons Jones has not been very good. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the graph.
Seth Jones doesn't want to re-sign with Columbus after next year? Probably a good thing for the Blue Jackets tbh pic.twitter.com/5XxPmj7PwV
— EvolvingWild (@EvolvingWild) May 30, 2021
As stated Seth Jones is a steady and for the most part solid player. Seth Jones is not elite and has not played like a top defensemen the past two seasons. For whatever reason.
Could he rebound? Sure he could. But Jones at his very best still falls short of other defensive players like Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay), Charlie McAvoy (Boston), Alex Pietrangelo ( St. Louis) and others. Yet the Columbus Blue Jackets by all accounts were prepared to offer Jones a max deal 8 years at $8.5 per-season and word is they were also ready to offer the captaincy to him as well.
President of Hockey Operations, John Davidson said he wants players who want to be in Columbus. Players like Cam Atkinson, Jack Rovsovic and others. With Jones leaving it is my opinion the Blue Jackets should enter a total rebuild.
If they choose and if he is willing to play through a rebuild, then the Blue Jackets could offer defensive player Zack Werenski a max deal and build around his talents.
The Blue Jackets could tear it all down and trade all assets for prospects and draft picks which would mean trading Werenski, Atkinson, Jones (which they will) and Patrik Laine.
One thing that would help the Blue Jackets not only hold onto players but attract free agents is to offer more max deals. Players like to have security. The Columbus Blue Jackets would be wise in transforming into an organization that offers that.
