Seth Jones had a strong debut for the Florida Panthers.
The veteran defenseman was acquired on Saturday in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.
He arrived in South Florida the following day and was on the ice with his new Panthers teammates for the first time on Monday morning at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale.
It’s going to take a little time for Jones to learn and perfect the defensive systems that Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice employs, but the large, ranging blueliner is expected to fix in quite nicely.
“He’s an unbelievable skater and a great guy,” said Sergei Bobrovsky, who spent four seasons playing with Jones in Columbus. “He plays on both sides of the puck, I’m excited and happy to have him. He’s a great addition to our team.”
Jones finished the game playing 22:56 of ice time, spread out pretty evenly among the three periods.
He logged three shots on four attempts, blocked a pair of Tampa shots and logged over four minutes of shorthanded time.
It sure didn’t feel like it was Jones’ first time playing with a brand-new team.
“I think he fit in right away,” said Panthers captain Sasha Barkov. “From what I know, he loves it here already. We’re really lucky and happy to have that type of guy here.”
Interestingly, Jones’ most significant impact came in an area that was probably least discussed following the trade, and that’s the penalty kill.
Florida went 7-for-7 against Tampa Bay, who boasted the NHL’s top road power play coming into the game, and Jones played over four minutes while the Panthers were down a man.
Jones’ first game with Florida brought rave reviews from his new head coach.
“He's going to be really good for us,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “He moves the puck clean, and he's got a set of hands on him. I thought for flying from Anaheim yesterday to get here, and then everything brand new. Mostly, he's playing on instinct out there, and the East is so much different than the West. I was really pleased with just his ability to process and play the game. We'll get the systems down, get all that other stuff down, which will make him faster. He’s a good pro.”
Jones and the Panthers will be back on the ice for his first official practice with the team on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale.
The Cats host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
Here is how Jones’ night broke down:
First period: Nine shifts and 7:11 of ice time, including 1:40 of shorthanded time, and two blocked shots.
Second period: Nine shifts and 8:04 of ice time, including 1:29 of shorthanded time, two shots on goal on two attempts, one hit and two giveaways.
Third period: Eight shifts and 7:41 of ice time, including six seconds of power play time and 59 seconds of shorthanded time. He took one shot on goal on two attempts.
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