Is Seth Jones At The Center Of Blackhawks’ Morale Issues?

The Blackhawks lost their sixth straight game against the Blue Jackets Saturday in what was arguably the most embarrassing matchup of the season. As the last-place team in the NHL, Chicago needed a get-right game in the worst way. Instead, they got thoroughly handled by the 29th-place team in the league, clearly outmatched for all 60 minutes.

Of all the disappointing performances from the Blackhawks’ skaters throughout the night, none stood out more than that of veteran defenseman Seth Jones. He was primarily responsible for the first goal given up, was embarrassing on the power play, and took multiple big penalties. After the game, head coach Luke Richardson was asked about the performance of his team’s highest-paid player.

I’ve been an advocate for Jones’ on-ice performance for much of this season. He plays more than 25 minutes per game, often staying on top of the other team’s attackers with good positioning. Jones is commonly referred to as having one of the worst contracts in hockey with an AAV of $9.5 million that doesn’t expire until 2030, but the Blackhawks have plenty of cap space and his deal isn’t an issue yet.

But lately, Jones’s demeanor has been a closer match to what he looked like on the ice Saturday night. Last weekend, Jones was expressing his displeasure with the Blackhawks’ results of late. To wrap up his negative rant, he added an element of apathy that seemed to epitomize his and his teammates’ morale.

“It’s just an unfortunate bounce in OT. It doesn’t really surprise me at this point, to be honest. It’s just crazy.”

- Seth Jones

Additionally, reports have come from practice that Jones has at times appeared to have emotionally left the building. He’s consistently the first player off the ice at morning skate and practice. Jones is certainly not the entirety of the Blackhawks’ issues at this point, but it’s beginning to look like he’s pulling in a different direction than the rest of the team.

After his worst performance of the season, it’s easy to put all the blame for Chicago’s problems on Jones, but his on-ice talent is still important. Though he can be a valuable asset at times for the Blackhawks, the veteran defenseman seems to be hurting his team’s morale more every day.