One Blackhawks fan favourite won't be around to play with the phenom, however, as recent news indicates the Hawks will let go of defenseman Caleb Jones and not give him a qualifying offer.
Caleb Jones is by no means a superstar, but he has carved out a role as a serviceable roster defenseman. The reason fans love him, however, is due to his brother Seth being one of the pillars of the Hawks team.
Having the two brothers playing together was one of the highlights of this 2022-23 tank team, and it feels pointless to seperate them.
This won't be the first time the Blackhawks let restricted free agents walk for nothing. Last season, they let Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik go.
Strome went on to put up 65 points in 81 games with the Washington Capitals and signed a 5-year, $25-million extension with the team. Kubalik put up 45 points with the Detroit Red Wings.
While the Blackhawks achieved their tanking goals, they certainly could have gotten assets for Strome and Kubalik, and they could definitely get something for Caleb Jones.
Letting him walk for nothing truly seems pointless, and fans have voiced their displeasure:
While Connor Bedard will be great, they need a team to play around him!
POLL | ||
JUIN 22 | 152 ANSWERS Fans Turning on Blackhawks Management After Recent Player Update Do you want your team to sign Caleb Jones in the off-season? | ||
Yes | 85 | 55.9 % |
No | 67 | 44.1 % |
LIST OF POLLS |
G | A | PTS | ||
Zachary Werenski | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
Sean Monahan | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
Jesper Bratt | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Frederick Gaudreau | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Jack Hughes | - | 3 | 3 | |
Nikita Kucherov | - | 3 | 3 | |
Mackenzie Weegar | - | 3 | 3 | |
Kent Johnson | 2 | - | 2 | |
Alexander Wennberg | 2 | - | 2 | |
Mitchell Chaffee | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Matthew Coronato | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Marcus Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Nick Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Conor Geekie | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Brandon Hagel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Stefan Noesen | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Corey Perry | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Igor Sharangovich | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Dmitry Voronkov | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Complete stats |
STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
Conference | Cumulative |