"Chicago's Defenseman Seth Jones Sidelined for 4 Weeks with Foot Injury"
The Chicago Blackhawks will be without their top defender, Seth Jones, for a duration of four weeks after he sustained an injury to his right foot during a game against the Seattle Kraken on November 14th.
Jones, who is 30 years old, was put on the injured reserve list on Saturday. According to coach Luke Richardson, he may have been injured while blocking a shot during the Blackhawks' 3-1 loss to Seattle, as he told reporters on Wednesday.
"It's unfortunate for both us and him, as he was playing really well," Richardson said before the Blackhawks' game against the Florida Panthers on Thursday. "But that's just the nature of this business."
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As of Wednesday, Jones, who has recorded 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 17 games this season, had the most ice time out of all players at 25:43.
Jones was selected as the No. 4 overall pick in 2013 by the Nashville Predators. Throughout his 12 seasons with the Predators (2013-16), Columbus Blue Jackets (2016-21), and Blackhawks (2021-present), the four-time All-Star defenseman has accumulated a total of 415 points (92 goals, 323 assists).
"He brings a sense of calmness to our team when he has the puck," said fellow Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic on Monday. "When he's on the ice, you trust him and you're not worried about any mistakes or things going wrong. He's very consistent and even if he does make a mistake, he has the defensive skills to make up for it. He's a big contributor to our offense as well. So, with our team currently struggling in terms of scoring, his absence is definitely affecting us."
Richardson also mentioned that defenseman Artyom Levshunov, who was the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft for the Blackhawks, will most likely not be called up to fill Jones' spot. He also stated that defenseman Kevin Korchinski, who is currently playing for the Rockford team in the American Hockey League along with Levshunov, is not expected to join the NHL club.
Levshunov, who is 19 years old, suffered a fractured foot during the offseason and was unable to practice with the Blackhawks until October 22nd.
Korchinski, who is 20 years old, was selected as the No. 7 overall pick in 2022 but did not play in the AHL last season. According to an agreement between the Canadian Hockey League and the NHL, a CHL player cannot play in the AHL until they are 20 years old.
