NEWSLETTER
You know the drill already, so let’s just jump right into it.
• Yesterday, prior to the start of the NHL Entry Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks acquired Seth Jones from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Welcome to Chicago, Seth Jones! pic.twitter.com/m4RZ6tQaCl
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 23, 2021
• The full trade saw the Blackhawks acquire Jones, the 32nd overall pick, and a 2022 sixth-round pick from the Blue Jackets, with the 12th overall pick, 44th overall pick, a 2022 first-round pick, and Adam Boqvist heading back the other way to Columbus.
• This was a deal we saw coming for a few weeks, and it came down to the Blackhawks’ absolute NEED for a No. 1 defenseman. He’ll jump into the lineup and immediately play that role in Chicago.
Stan Bowman talking now.
Seth Jones is "an impact defenseman who we've been searching for quite some time. To finally add him here…is a huge move for our group. It changes the complexion of our defense in particular."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) July 24, 2021
• Along with acquiring Jones, the Blackhawks will have an eight-year, $76M contract extension signed with him on Wednesday. The full extension details here from CapFriendly
Seth Jones #Blackhawks
8 years x $9.5M Extension22-23: 750k base salary + 9.25M signing bonus
23-24: 7.5M + 5M SB
24-25: 7.5M + 5M SB
25-26: 5.5M + 5M SB
26-27: 7M + 1M SB
27-28: 2.5M + 5M SB
28-29: 2.5M + 5M SB
29-30: 2.5M + 5M SBFull NMC Throughouthttps://t.co/q26PspwKVe
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) July 24, 2021
• Full. No. Movement.
Stan Bowman on signing Seth Jones to an 8-year extension: "From age 26 on is when they’re (defensemen) at their peak. I look at it as a benefit."
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) July 24, 2021
• The Blackhawks are gambling A LOT on the fact that Jones is going to be the Seth Jones of old.
• Losing Boqvist, the 12th overall pick (Cole Sillinger), the 44th overall pick, and Chicago’s first-round pick next year is a lot to give up for a team that was supposed to be in a rebuilding process, if you ask me.
Bowman says Jones doesn't necessarily accelerate the process, but complements it. Says getting a player of his caliber is one of the reasons they've moved money around. Not too concerned about last year's woes.
"He's got all the attributes you look for in a modern defenseman."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) July 24, 2021
• Boqvist was progressing at the NHL level. He looked better and more well-rounded as a defender as last season went along. But it appears the Blackhawks were not seeing the top-pair potential in him as fast as they had hoped.
Chicago,thank you for giving me the chance to live out my dream of playing in the NHL. I couldn’t have asked for a better organization, city, teammates or fans to begin my NHL career.
Columbus.I look forward to hearing that cannon in a blue sweater and can’t wait to get to work pic.twitter.com/PCDtGGdouY
— Adam Boqvist (@BoqvistAdam) July 24, 2021
• Losing Boqvist leaves the Blackhawks with a young defensive group that will be in play at the NHL that includes Ian Mitchell, Wyatt Kalynuk, Riley Stillman, Nicolas Beaudin, Alec Regula, and Caleb Jones (Seth’s brother).
• With the addition of the 32nd overall pick, the last pick in the first round, the Blackhawks selected another young defenseman to add to their prospect system with Nolan Allan from the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL.
Here's what you can expect from Nolan Allan, @NHLBlackhawks fans!#GoRaidersGo pic.twitter.com/BybLOB4vms
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) July 24, 2021
• The pick is a reach, to say the least. Allan was likely a player that the Blackhawks could have still had to option to pick with their late-second round pick. But they made the move at 32nd overall.
Nolan Allan of the PA Raiders goes 32nd to Chicago. He was my 15th ranked skater who projects as a strong skating, defensive minded player. Makes efficient plays out of his own end, physically set but there’s nothing offensive coming. @FCHockey
— Justin Froese (@froesehky) July 24, 2021
• The Blackhawks became enamored with Allan at the U-18 World Junior Championships, it appears.
Bowman says Nolan Allan impressed the Blackhawks with Canada during the U18 WCs.
"Nolan was fantastic during that tournament. I got to go watch him in person… He was a really big workhorse for that Canadian team that won the Gold Medal. He caught my eye watching that game."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) July 24, 2021
• And the selection was just as much of a shock to many Blackhawks fans as it was to Allan himself.
Nolan Allan: "Just shocked. I didn't know where I was going to go, so to hear my name in the last pick there was awesome. The whole house erupted.'
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) July 24, 2021
• On the ESPN broadcast, Kevin Weekes compared Allan to another former Blackhawks defenseman, Brent Seabrook. The problem is that Allan, by all accounts, has little-to-no offensive upside to his game, whereas Seabrook was truly capable at both ends of the ice.
PA is used to having guys establishing their defense I’ve zone play and expanding from there. Allan had all the opportunity in the world to become more of a two-way player and he had seemingly no interest in doing that. He might play, but ya.
— Joel Henderson (@dathockeydoe) July 24, 2021
• I am willing to give Allan time to develop and see what he can become in the next few years. But with the talent that was left on the board at the end of the first round, it is my belief that the Blackhawks could have done much, much better with the 32nd overall pick.
• Now we move onto Day Two, already underway. Here are where the Blackhawks pick today in rounds two through seven. Plan accordingly.
Blackhawks' picks in the NHL draft today, which resumes in 10 minutes:
2nd round: 62nd overall
4th round: 105th, 108th
6th round: 172nd
7th round: 204th, 216th— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) July 24, 2021
• While the Blackhawks will introduce both Seth and Caleb Jones later today, the Colorado Avalanche signed a player who need no introduction to a massive contract extension of his own
Cale Makar re-signs with the Avs, six years at a $9 M AAV@TSNHockey @TheAthletic
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 24, 2021
• Cale Makar is without a doubt worth $9M AAV, whereas Seth Jones makes you cringe at $9.5M AAV. Put it that way.
• Also, put it this way, the contract extension for Makar holds so much value that there are no comparable contracts to put alongside it according to Dom Luszczyszyn’s model at The Athletic.
Cale Makar (who has zero comps) is projected to be the most valuable defenceman in the league and is immediately on one of the best contracts if he stays at that level. A nice deal for Colorado. pic.twitter.com/UgOY8DSCMc
— dom at the athletic (@domluszczyszyn) July 24, 2021
• That will do it for today since we have to jump right back into Day Two of the NHL Entry Draft. Hopefully it’s a more enjoyable day for you and Blackhawks fans than yesterday.
