Panthers taking expensive gamble by acquiring Seth Jones from Blackhawks 

It is an interesting trade for both teams, and perhaps a better than expected return for Chicago. 

It is also an especially big gamble for Florida.

The Panthers were in need of additional defensive help as they try to defend their Stanley Cup championship, and Jones will certainly help bring some offense to their lineup. But his contract has always been the big obstacle with him because he has never really played like the $9.5 million player the Blackhawks were paying him to be. At times that contract seemed to be unmovable. 

But with Chicago retaining a portion of that remaining contract, the Panthers are now getting Jones as a $7 million per year player, which makes it a little more tolerable. But there is still some debate as to whether or not he is even worth that. For about the past three or four years he's been a player whose reputation — and salary — has at times exceeded his actual on-ice value. 

Not only is Florida taking on that significant cap hit, but it's also trading two very valuable assets in Knight and a future first-round pick. Knight is still only 23 years old and will get a chance to take on a bigger role in Chicago than he was ever going to get in Florida behind Sergei Bobrovsky. While his career has seen him produce mostly league average numbers to this point, he still has the potential and ability to be a long-term starter. 

Florida has had a great deal of success in recent years in helping defensemen turn their careers around, and Jones certainly fits the mold of players they look for.

With veteran Aaron Ekblad potentially headed to free agency after this season, they had a need for a long-term answer as well. 

Now the question is whether or not they can get Jones to play up to his salary. 

If he does, it will be another shrewd move for a team that has consistently pushed all of the right buttons in recent years. 

If he does not, that will be a big salary cap number to contend with — and two big assets going the other way — for the next few years.