We already knew this information, but the Chicago Blackhawks made it official on Thursday afternoon. During the first hour and a half of free agency being open, the club announced Seth Jones’ eight-year contract extension with the club.
Officially official: Seth Jones inks an 8-year extension‼️#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/CNvIw3JISZ
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 28, 2021
Jones was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets prior to the start of the NHL Draft last week and has one year remaining on his current deal with a $5.4M cap hit for the 2021-22 season. Jones’ eight-year contract extensions, coming with a $9.5M AAV cap hit, goes into effect for the 2022-23 season and runs through the 2029-30 season with a full no-movement clause attached to it.
An eight-year NHL veteran, Jones turns 27-years-old at the beginning of next season and has 580 NHL games under his belt. He has 65 career goals and 286 career points in eight seasons between the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets, finishing fourth in Norris Trophy voting during the 2017-18 season with the Blue Jackets. He joins the Blackhawks and instantly becomes the No. 1 defenseman on the roster and has been the first of many moves by the club this summer to signal the end of the “rebuilding” process for the Blackhawks.