The Ottawa Senators continue to look for a defenseman that can help them this season. This has been an issue for Ottawa all season. The team has not been consistent this year and would like to improve their defense core. NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reports that the Senators had discussion with the Chicago Blackhawks about defenseman Seth Jones. However the deal did not come about. It was purely talks. The Blackhawks appear to be ready to rebuild and no player is untouchable at this point.
You could understand why Ottawa would be interested in Jones. Throughout most of his career he has put up good offensive numbers and he's a mobile puck moving defenseman. The problem with Jones is his salary. Jones is making a whopping $9.5 million per season until the 2029-2030 season. That is a huge contract and one Ottawa and any other team would be wise to stay away from. As NHL players get older, their production and their value typically declines. Jones' value will not match that contract as time goes by.
Ottawa is wise to address their defensive issues during the season. Although they have a good core of young forwards, the defense is in desperate need of some solid, tough stay at home defenseman. This would compliment Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot's game as well. Ottawa will have to keep searching as the season progresses. A move like this could really boost Ottawa in the standings as well. They've been inconsistent so far this year and they've had some injury troubles, but they're only seven points out of a wild card spot.
