Seth Jones is back, and the Chicago Blackhawks couldn’t be happier. The star defenseman has been activated from injured reserve after missing 16 games with a foot injury that’s kept him off the ice since early November.
It’s been a tough stretch without him. The Hawks managed just two wins in their first 10 games after Jones went down.
But things are looking up. The team’s riding a three-game winning streak, and Jones’ return should only add to that momentum.
Before getting hurt, Jones was having a pretty solid season. He put up 2 goals and 10 points in 17 games – a pace that would’ve given him 49 points over a full season.
Now he’ll only get to play 66 games max this year. That’s probably going to keep his numbers closer to the 37 and 31 points he’s posted the last two seasons, rather than his impressive 51-point showing back in 2021-22.
The Blackhawks really need him, though. Jones has been their workhorse on defense, averaging over 25 minutes of ice time per game since joining Chicago. He plays in every situation – power play, penalty kill, you name it.
Getting back up to speed won’t be easy. It’s been more than a month since he last played, and jumping right into NHL action is no small task.
The Hawks didn’t need to make any other roster moves since they had space. But someone’s got to sit out with Jones coming back.
Looks like that’ll be young Kevin Korchinski, who hasn’t registered a point in his six games this season. He’ll probably end up with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL soon.
