The Chicago Blackhawks have traded defenseman Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers in a blockbuster deal. The Blackhawks also traded a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Panthers in the deal, which came about after Jones requested a trade from Chicago earlier this season.

Going through every team in the playoff hunt to explore the realistic options for where the 30-year-old defenseman could end up.

A day after pulling off the deal that brought Jones in from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for goaltender Spencer Knight, Panthers general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito said the Stanley Cup champions took their time before finally executing the move and agreeing to bring on Jones — who has five years left on a big-money contract.