One reason each NHL team should be excited for the 2018 season

Columbus Blue Jackets – Mister Jones

The Columbus Blue Jackets made a might bold trade in January of 2016. They gave up an extremely talented, but disgruntled, center in Ryan Johansen to the Nashville Predators. In exchange, the Blue Jackets got young defenseman Seth Jones. Rarely do trades work out so well for both parties. Though the trade has worked out great for both sides, the Blue Jackets won the trade because Jones has emerged into a franchise defenseman.

Though the trade has worked out great for both sides, the Blue Jackets won the trade because Jones has emerged into a franchise defenseman.

Last season, he finished fourth in the Norris Trophy voting. Jones was also named a second-team All-Star as one of the top four defensemen in the NHL. This came after he set career highs with 16 points, 41 assists, and 57 points in 78 games. Jones also only had 30 penalty minutes, which is pretty impressive for someone who played nearly 2,000 minutes in the regular season.

The Blue Jackets defenseman will enter the 2018-19 season as one of the Norris Trophy favorites, and rightfully so. Jones will be just 24 years old when the season starts, so his best years are ahead of him. Much like last season, the Blue Jackets will ask him and his defensive partner Zach Werenski to continue to dominate. That’s all they’ve done together as a pairing. But Jones has emerged as the clear leader of the pairing, and of the Blue Jackets as well.