After two subpar seasons in Columbus, there was ample concern around the Blackhawks’ acquisition of Seth Jones last summer. While some of those negative points still exist — namely Jones’ contract and the Blackhawks general lack of status as a contender — none of that negates the bounce-back performance that Jones had on the ice last season.
Because the Columbus system wasn’t impacting any of his defensive teammates, Jones poorer performances with the Blue Jackets looked like more of an issue with Jones’ play. But unleashing Jones to do whatever he wanted — and it did seem like he did his own thing regardless of what King’s system was in place — allowed for him to put up his best performance in years.