Confirmed with Link: Seth Jones (25% retained) & ‘26 4th to Florida for Knight and a '26 1st

[Kevin Musto]

Here, though, he can grow his game without worrying about getting blamed for a bad performance. Without being a whipping boy for the fanbase.

That's simply not true.

If he doesn't do well, there's a bigger target on his back cause the Hawks are retaining on Jones in hopes that Knight performs.

There's more pressure on him than any other goalie in the system.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Did you seriously just type that about not getting blamed?....look up Soderblom from last year or Mrazek comments from this season. The Blackhawk goalies are whipping boys for a crappy team...doubt it stops now and it will be a massive adjustment from winning all the time to losing all time. No matter who you are your confidence will take a major hit. A few months ago 99.9% of this board wanted Soda to be cut from hockey all together.

99.9% of this board? So this board has a thousand posters on it and one lone poster said that they still believed in Soderblom?!?

People weren't blaming Soderblom here. We acknowledged that he had a bad season last year and assumed he'd be waived/sent down due to the Laurent Brossoit signing. Obviously fortune had other plans and with another chance up here, he has flourished.

Sure, a goalie is always going to be blamed for a bad goal to some extent. But it's still a lot different being a team that has half the fanbase cheering on a loss to help with draft standings versus letting in a bad goal on a cup contender. Crawford, for the longest time here, would let in a bad goal and be heavily criticized for it. Plenty here wanted to move on from him and have a tandem of Darling/Raanta even after Crawford won his 2nd cup as a starter.

It's a shit ton easier to grow your game as a goalie in an environment like this than on a team like Florida. Expectations, while still high, are considerably different.

 

[CallMeShaft]

That's simply not true.

If he doesn't do well, there's a bigger target on his back cause the Hawks are retaining on Jones in hopes that Knight performs.

There's more pressure on him than any other goalie in the system.

That's debatable.

Maybe people want to be happy and excited about the new toy on the Blackhawks. Maybe people understand that Jones' contract getting (mostly) off the books is the real winner of the deal and Knight is just the icing on the cake.

I lean towards the latter and I expect most others here do as well, but maybe idiot fans on facebook and twitter see it differently.

 

[Kevin Musto]

"trying to do it all"

 

[OldScool]

99.9% of this board? So this board has a thousand posters on it and one lone poster said that they still believed in Soderblom?!?

People weren't blaming Soderblom here. We acknowledged that he had a bad season last year and assumed he'd be waived/sent down due to the Laurent Brossoit signing. Obviously fortune had other plans and with another chance up here, he has flourished.

Sure, a goalie is always going to be blamed for a bad goal to some extent. But it's still a lot different being a team that has half the fanbase cheering on a loss to help with draft standings versus letting in a bad goal on a cup contender. Crawford, for the longest time here, would let in a bad goal and be heavily criticized for it. Plenty here wanted to move on from him and have a tandem of Darling/Raanta even after Crawford won his 2nd cup as a starter.

It's a shit ton easier to grow your game as a goalie in an environment like this than on a team like Florida. Expectations, while still high, are considerably different.

That's correct. People absolutely ripped soda all season long and now Mrazek is the whipping boy. Crawford never saw massive criticism because they WON and a lot. I think you absolutely have it backwards. Playing for a crappy team is very difficult on a goalie. Getting beat down night after night, and having crappy stats despite playing well is very difficult for any player.

 

[Putt Pirate]

Woke up today and the air smelled fresher.....the sun shone brighter......the mountains looked more beautiful than before. Yes, Jones's ass is actually gone. How the hell as a Hawks fan can we complain about the return for that toxic selfish piece of shit.

 

[Flahawkfan]

I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!

Watching Seth Jones this year, I couldn't wait till the hawks moved him. I was so over his weak wrist shot from the top of the slot, but there was a lot more that annoyed me with the type of player he is. I also thought the same of Taylor Hall. Neither one met a shot they didn't like to take even though many times they had a two on one or someone had a better shot and a quick pass would have made the big goalie have to move. How many shots has this team taken and has hit the goalie right in the crest? Low percentage shot after low percentage shot. For a team that doesn't take a ton of shots this is a recipe for futility and frustration. The hawks puck movement sucks and its been commented many times on this site. If your the PP QB, quick movement is a must and Seth looked like he was going through the motions. That is my opinion why Vlasic looked so much better on the PP.

My other reason to be so happy is Good Players play well (and Seth does fit into this definition) , but Great Players make the players they play with much better. They raise the game of everyone around them. We saw this with Bedard and Kurashev or even Foligno?
Some others to do this in the past were Kane, Hjalmerson, Kieth, Seabrook, Hossa etc. Before that you had Chelly, Roenick, Larmer, and even Probert. Sorry, I don't see or feel Seth made anyone better around him. If you think of someone please share.
I can count on my left hand how many great passes Seth made this season to set someone up, but I need a computer to count all the weak ass floaters from the blue line he took.

To add some context to my last comment: Seth has played a lot with Bedard this season (PP etc) and he has a grand total of 4 primary assists with Bedard (16 goals). Thats similar to Donato (4) , Bert (3), Hall (2). Knowing how little consistency Bedard has gotten in linemates this year (and knowing Seth and Conner have been on PP1 all season together), it shows the lack of chemistry Bedard had with Seth. On the other hand how many unbelievable passes have we seen Bedard make to set up someone i.e. Bert, Donato, Turbo?

We have been watching unispired play for several years from this team. If you are going to be a #1 Dman eating up 25 minutes per game (nearly half the game), and getting paid like a top player then you need to show your leadership and greatness (and ability to raise everyone elses level of compete), otherwise your an oxygen thief, just stealing the oxygen from the team.

Goodbye Seth, I hoped and cheered for you to be Duncan Kieth's replacement but unfortunately you couldn't fill his shoes (even at the end of his carrer). I wish you well! My your stay in Florida be productive and fruitful.

Shout out to Kevin Musto on wait and see. We have seen enough from Seth Jones and I believe we have seen more than enough.

 

[ColbyChaos]

That's correct. People absolutely ripped soda all season long and now Mrazek is the whipping boy. Crawford never saw massive criticism because they WON and a lot. I think you absolutely have it backwards. Playing for a crappy team is very difficult on a goalie. Getting beat down night after night, and having crappy stats despite playing well is very difficult for any player.

The majority of people looked at Sodas age and felt if he isn’t doing well in the NHL he should play in a much better Rockford team and keep his confidence up while continuing to develop. He was 24 for all of last season we all knew Crawford was drafted in 03 and didn’t get significant playing time until he was about 26 or 27 around 2012 don’t remember the specific year.

There’s a fine line between feeling a goalie may not be ready for the highest tier professional league at a young age (relative to his position)and thinking he is garbage. Would do you some good to avoid going into the Musto deep end of hyperboles

 

[CallMeShaft]

That's correct. People absolutely ripped soda all season long and now Mrazek is the whipping boy. Crawford never saw massive criticism because they WON and a lot. I think you absolutely have it backwards. Playing for a crappy team is very difficult on a goalie. Getting beat down night after night, and having crappy stats despite playing well is very difficult for any player.

Losing might be crappy, but we don't even know what his stats will look like here. Hawks give up a ton of shots, and his goals against will almost assuredly go up, but goalies don't necessarily mind facing a lot of shots. There's that saying about how a goalie likes to feel the puck a lot and not just go minutes on end waiting for something to do, having to think about the next one instead of just playing their game. Goalies can have a hard time getting into a rhythm during a game if they aren't being challenged any.

My point though, and you and Musto seem to disagree with me on it, is that fans of playoff teams give their goalies more slack than fans of bottom feeders. Maybe I'm wrong, but over these last couple seasons, I generally didn't care much if Soderblom let in a bad goal or had a bad night. If he had months of bad play, like he did here last year, making you question if he's even an NHL quality net minder is a different story. But after a few weeks of him playing this year, I relaxed on his performance. He is still far from perfect, but I've been more than content with him. And Mrazek? Maybe some here have complained a little bit, but most in this community realize that he's not sticking around here much longer and don't care much about the level of play of a guy who won't be here when we're good again.

Now knight will (probably) be here when we're good again. And he'll face a bit more pressure than either of Mrazek or Soderblom because of it. But as long as he's showing positive signs, I personally think most of the fanbase won't harp on him much. Meanwhile the Panthers board, and their board on Reddit, was filled with shit against him earlier this season before his play picked up. They had those same complaints at the time wondering if he's good enough to be the guy long term, but they also were trying to win games for playoff position and were understandably nervous that Bob's backup was struggling. That concern about him hurting you in the standings doesn't exist on a team that isn't going anywhere this season or next. If he unintenionally loses us a game or two, who cares? Maybe it helps us slip below San Jose. Not a big deal as long as he's showing those positive signs throughout weeks or months at a time.

 

[bwanajamba]

"trying to do it all"

I have been trying not to hold any negative feelings towards him because I don't blame him for being unhappy here, but honestly what a dork. He was getting paid like Cale Makar to be a mediocre minutes eater on a bottom feeder team. Spare us the martyr narrative

 

[CallMeShaft]

 

[Kevin Musto]

My point though, and you and Musto seem to disagree with me on it, is that fans of playoff teams give their goalies more slack than fans of bottom feeders. Maybe I'm wrong, but over these last couple seasons, I generally didn't care much if Soderblom let in a bad goal or had a bad night. If he had months of bad play, like he did here last year, making you question if he's even an NHL quality net minder is a different story. But after a few weeks of him playing this year, I relaxed on his performance. He is still far from perfect, but I've been more than content with him. And Mrazek? Maybe some here have complained a little bit, but most in this community realize that he's not sticking around here much longer and don't care much about the level of play of a guy who won't be here when we're good again.

The difference is that at no point were guys like Soderblom and Mrazek expected to be long term pieces.

Usually that's the case with rebuilders because there's a lot of turnover with players as you're building a core.

The expectation for Knight is that he's going to be a big part of the core. Stakes are different for him, even on a rebuilding team that is expected to lose a lot.

 

[Darkstar]

Alright man...we get it - he was in great situation and now he's not.

Now what?

We move the team to Houston for better weather and no state income tax...obviously. People down there don't give a damn about hockey, so he'll face less criticism.

 

[CallMeShaft]

The difference is that at no point were guys like Soderblom and Mrazek expected to be long term pieces.

Usually that's the case with rebuilders because there's a lot of turnover with players as you're building a core.

The expectation for Knight is that he's going to be a big part of the core. Stakes are different for him, even on a rebuilding team that is expected to lose a lot.

They are different circumstances, sure. And he will certainly be judged if he has a long stretch of less than stellar play.

But if he has a bad game or two, or let's in a bad goal every now and again, I would think (or at least hope) this fanbase would go easy on him knowing his age and that he's still working on his game.

 

[Crow]

Soda played terrible last year and then worked hard on his game to play better. That’s the way it should go. If knight cant play well im not going to blame the fans criticism haha what the hell is going on here?

 

[Muffinalt]

"trying to do it all"

This fool is living in another world.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Soda played terrible last year and then worked hard on his game to play better. That’s the way it should go. If knight cant play well im not going to blame the fans criticism haha what the hell is going on here?

It's not blaming the fans for criticisms. It's simply acknowledging that if there are games this season or next where Spencer has an off night, it's something that can (or should) be easily shrugged off knowing that it won't have much of a negative effect on the standings.

Panthers are in a different position. They want to win every single night. They want to finish high in the standings, get home ice advantage (not that they needed it or had it in 2023), have easier opponents in the first round.

Meanwhile half of us want to keep losing games this season so we can finish below San Jose. It's just a different set of expectations among fanbases.

Big thing is simply wanting to see him continue to progress and improve over a long period of time.

 

[BobbyJet]

This fool is living in another world.

I don't see those comments by Seth as inaccurate. He obviously was trying to do too much in most games in Chicago and couldn't trust his teammates on a bottom feeder team. In Florida he will be able to pinch more and join the offense without worrying if he will be backed up. He also will play less and if he does make a mistake, chances are Panthers solid team game will cover for him. I won't be surprised if he returns to the form of pre-Chicago Seth Jones, but we'll see.

 

[Crow]

I don’t think his play was indicative of someone trying to do too much. To me that means trying to be too creative offensively, making too many passes, etc. Defensively I didn’t see him over playing or trying to do too much either. He was the opposite, indecisive or lazy. He wasn’t over pursuing people. He wasn’t taking penalties in playing too hard.

Maybe he means he selfishly shot too much at goalies who had a good look at the puck. He definitely did try to do that too much.

 

[Pez68]

Imagine thinking a guy was trying to do too much when it was quite clear his effort level was total shit. Lol

 

[BobbyJet]

It's not blaming the fans for criticisms. It's simply acknowledging that if there are games this season or next where Spencer has an off night, it's something that can (or should) be easily shrugged off knowing that it won't have much of a negative effect on the standings.

Panthers are in a different position. They want to win every single night. They want to finish high in the standings, get home ice advantage (not that they needed it or had it in 2023), have easier opponents in the first round.

Meanwhile half of us want to keep losing games this season so we can finish below San Jose. It's just a different set of expectations among fanbases.

Big thing is simply wanting to see him continue to progress and improve over a long period of time.

Here's what I like about acquiring Knight: I've only witnessed him a few times and he looked very good. If this rebuild is going to be a success we must have solid and consistent goaltending in a few years time. The kid is only 23, (24 in April), a former first rounder who is loaded in potential. Wouldn't it be a treat to have a 1a/ Knight and a 1b/Soderblum, or vice versa. Soder has impressed me this season, by far the most improved player in Chicago and possibly in the league. If it works out Hawks should be set for goal going forward. (some teams struggle to get a legit #1 so we should be ahead of the game in nets. Knock on wood.)

 

[CallMeShaft]

Here's what I like about acquiring Knight: I've only witnessed him a few times and he looked very good. If this rebuild is going to be a success we must have solid and consistent goaltending in a few years time. The kid is only 23, (24 in April), a former first rounder who is loaded in potential. Wouldn't it be a treat to have a 1a/ Knight and a 1b/Soderblum, or vice versa. Soder has impressed me this season, by far the most improved player in Chicago and possibly in the league. If it works out Hawks should be set for goal going forward. (some teams struggle to get a legit #1 so we should be ahead of the game in nets. Knock on wood.)

I'd certainly welcome a Knight/Soda 1A/1B tandem for the next few seasons. Two young guys who can push each other and continue to work on getting to that next level in their games.

We entered this season with that position being the weakest long term. This trade and Soderblom's improved play has certainly helped solidify that spot for the foreseeable future.

 

[Hawkaholic]

FuN reading the Panthers board after the 1st intermission. Lol

Kucherov walks Jones
Jones is slower than Ekblad
Trade for Karlsson

Lol