LAS VEGAS– Joining rookie phenom Connor Bedard as one of two Chicago Blackhawks on the 2023 NHL Media Tour, Seth Jones is in a unique position. Despite only now going into his third year as a member of Chicago, Jones is considered a team veteran among a pool of young and new players coming into the organization. As the front office opted to not re-sign longtime captain Jonathan Toews, Seth Jones looks to be a natural next step.

Jones is currently signed to an eight-year, $9.5 million AAV deal that expires in 2030, which is largely agreed upon as one of the worst contracts in the entire NHL. At the time of the singing, Jones was joining a Blackhawks team that had Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marc-André Fleury, Alex DeBrincat, Brandon Hagel, and Dylan Strome on its roster. The squad looked pretty skilled on paper, and was expected to perform light years ahead of how it had in the recent past, maybe even sneak into the playoffs as a wild card. The individual talent on the roster was simply not enough, though, as the team earned itself a 28-42-12 record, which missed the postseason by only 29 points. This disappointing performance brought even more reason to the argument that Jones should not have been traded for in the first place, let alone signed to an eight-year extension.

Jones’ 2022-23 campaign went much better than his Chicago debut in the previous year. He was heavily depended on by new head coach Luke Richardson in all situations as he averaged just over 24 minutes of ice time per game. In all but 10 regular season games, he managed to rack up 12 goals and 25 assists for a total of 37 points. By no means is that extraordinary for the typical star NHL defenseman, but it was for the Chicago Blackhawks. Seth Jones was the lone Chicago representative at the All-Star Game this past season as well. As the Kane and Toews era has officially ended in Chicago, Jones can finally be a leader and player to look up to for young talent like Bedard and Kevin Korchinski along with newcomers Taylor Hall, Corey Perry, and Nick Foligno.

The question now becomes, in what capacity will Seth Jones fill the leadership hole left by Kane and Toews? He has worn an “A” on his sweater in both Chicago and Columbus and worked alongside some of the greats in his 11-year-long career, those being Toews, Foligno, and Roman Josi. With the Toews wound still fresh, the Blackhawks may not even be ready to name a captain. The front office might decide that this lackluster roster of players must find their identity as a group before naming a leader. No matter what the decision is, Seth Jones believes that he can do it. Still dealing with the doubt and criticism that he has faced since the minute he touched down in Chicago, Jones now has the opportunity to become the face of an Original Six franchise.