Seth Jones joins defending Cup champion Panthers on busy day of NHL trades

Stephen Whyno · The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 02, 2025 9:42 AM EST | Last Updated: March 2

Defencemen Seth Jones and Ryan Lindgren and guardant Gustav Nyquist were connected the determination connected Saturday arsenic 3 Central Division teams got a leap connected the NHL's looming commercialized deadline.

The Colorado Avalanche got the shot rolling with different splash by acquiring Lindgren and guardant Jimmy Vesey successful a commercialized with the New York Rangers. The Minnesota Wild answered hours aboriginal by acquiring pending escaped cause guardant Gustav Nyquist.

And last-place Chicago shipped retired different veteran, sending Jones to the defending champion Florida Panthers.

The NHL commercialized deadline is March 7 astatine 3 p.m. ET.

Florida got Jones and a 2026 fourth-round prime from Chicago for goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round prime successful adjacent year's draft. Chicago is besides retaining 26 per cent of Jones's salary.

"It is decidedly hard, but helium is going to a bully squad and I deliberation that's what helium wants," Chicago's Lukas Reichel said aft the team's 6-3 triumph implicit the Anaheim Ducks. "I anticipation helium does good there."

The 30-year-old Jones was the No. 4 wide prime by Nashville successful the 2013 draft. He is nether interaction done 2030.

"Seth is simply a pro, large feline successful the locker country truthful we privation him the best," Chicago interim manager Anders Sorenson said.

Florida is already heavy astatine guardant with Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, Carter Verhaeghe and Gustav Forsling each locked up for astatine slightest 3 much seasons aft this.

Rangers reportedly retaining salary

The Avalanche commercialized was their 2nd large 1 of the season. They sent top-line guardant Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes successful precocious January, getting a younger subordinate backmost successful instrumentality successful Martin Necas, and it's imaginable wide Chris MacFarland is not done making moves earlier the deadline.

The Rangers acquired a second- and a fourth-round pick, young guardant Juuso Parssinen, seasoned defenceman Calvin de Haan and the rights to unsigned imaginable Hank Kempf. New York is retaining fractional of Lindgren's salary, according to a idiosyncratic with cognition of the deal.

The idiosyncratic spoke to The Associated Press connected information of anonymity due to the fact that the wage retention was not announced arsenic portion of the trade.

The Rangers volition person the amended of their ain oregon Carolina's prime successful the 2nd circular and the amended of Carolina's oregon Vancouver's successful the 4th circular of the draught aboriginal this year, the idiosyncratic said.

New York, which volition beryllium without No. 1 defenceman Adam Fox for immoderate clip due to the fact that of an upper-body injury, is 4 points backmost of the last playoff spot successful the Eastern Conference. Moving connected from Lindgren and Vesey does not mean the Rangers are giving up connected the season, but they did not privation to suffer them for thing this summer.

They had been funny successful Parssinen, 24, for immoderate time. He could capable the extent relation vacated by chap Finn Kaapo Kakko, who was traded to Seattle successful December.

Lindgren, 27, has struggled this season, but helium gives Colorado immoderate left-handed-shooting extent connected the bluish enactment to marque different agelong playoff tally this spring.

Vesey, 31, did not get arsenic overmuch playing clip arsenic helium would person liked successful New York, skating nether 10 minutes a game, and could get a bigger accidental with the Avalanche.

Nashville acquired a 2026 second-round prime from Minnesota, portion retaining fractional of Nyquist's salary. The 35-year-old guardant is joining the Wild astatine the commercialized deadline for the 2nd clip successful 3 years.

"They're getting a existent bully player, existent good," Predators caput manager Andrew Brunette said. "He's a astute player, versatile, tin play immoderate relation connected your team. They're getting 1 of the champion teammates you'll ever find and 1 of the champion people. So, they're fortunate to get him, and hopefully helium plays up to what helium tin bring."