Sportsnet: It’s looking like Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones isn’t interested in signing a contract extension with the team at this point according to Elliotte Friedman. He has one more year on his deal at a $5.4 million salary cap hit,
“We can tell you that sometime in the last week or so, Seth Jones informed the Columbus Blue Jackets that he will not be re-signing.
Now I’m saying for now at this point because I don’t like to deal in absolutes, but it does appear as if he is prepared to test free agency and we’ll see how Columbus decides to handle this over the next little while.”
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic: Seth Jones’ agent Pat Brisson wouldn’t comment on the “private conversations” between Jones and the Blue Jackets. Jones not willing to re-sign is a huge blow to the organization.
The Blue Jackets were will to give Jones a huge contract and name him the captain of the team.
John Davidson last weekend.
“When you deal with situations like this, they are what they are,” Davidson said. “No matter which way it goes, you have to respect the player’s wishes, what they want. If they stay, they stay. If they don’t, they go, and we try to do the best we can with what the (trade) return’s going to be … if that’s what it comes to.”
The trade return for Jones would be huge.
The Blue Jackets may now start to wonder if Zach Werenski (RFA after next season) will want to remain in Columbus. Will Cam Atkinson want to stick around for a rebuild?
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic: (mailbag) Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has said that he is willing to hold onto Seth Jones into next season even if he hasn’t signed a contract extension. Will this change now that John Davidson is back?
If the Blue Jackets hold onto Jones without an extension, it’s a risky move for three reasons.
- His trade value would go down as the acquiring team would have him for less than a year.
- There is the risk of Jones getting injured before the trade deadline.
- It would also lead to a year of headlines about the organization having another player that doesn’t want to be there.
Back when they had Artemi Paranin they decided to ride out the year and take a run at the Cup. At this point with what they have, they are not in the same situation.
Jones isn’t eligible to sign a contract extension until July 28th.
