Jones trying to be ‘best player I can’ for Panthers after foot injury last season

CHICAGO -- Seth Jones doesn’t know why he’s gotten off to such a strong start to the season. 

“Just playing hockey. Not overthinking it,” the Florida Panthers defenseman said last week. “Playing in a good system with great players around me and kind of been on the receiving end of that to start the year.

“I’m trying to move my feet every day and be the best player I can.”

It’s those feet, well actually one of them, that caused Jones to miss the end of last season. He sustained a broken bone in his foot on April 7 and missed the final three games of the season. 

But he has been a force to start this season, and will look to stay hot when the Panthers (8-5-2) play one of his former teams, the Chicago Blackhawks (4-10-1), at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT).

Jones has 18 points (two goals, 16 assists) in 15 games, second on the Panthers behind forward Matthew Tkachuk, who has 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) in 15 games. Jones also shares the team lead in power-play points (11) with Tkachuk.

The 32-year-old is also logging 25:02 of ice time per game, a little over four minutes more than any of his teammates. Defenseman Gustav Forsling is next, averaging 21:00 minutes per game.

“He’s awesome. He’s a horse back there,” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said of Jones. “I mean, he does it all for us: penalty kill, power play and he can move. He’s an all-around defenseman and it’s awesome to see how well he’s been playing and what he’s capable of.”

Jones and the Panthers are determined to get back to the hockey that led Florida to the Stanley Cup in 2024 and 2025. Acquired by the Panthers from the Blackhawks on March 1, 2025, Jones was a big part of that second run. Last season, however, the Panthers were plagued by injuries and didn’t qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Jones’ hot start has helped the Panthers, especially on the power play, which he said got off to “a really rocky start,” 1-for-28 through Florida’s first five games including allowing a shorthanded goal. In the past 10 games, however, the power play is 15-for-40 (37.5 percent), which is second best in the NHL behind the Edmonton Oilers (39.5 percent).

“What we love the most is he is trying to influence the game,” Maurice said. “He’s certainly trying to get up the ice and be a puck-mover and a play maker, but he’s not doing it at the expense of the defensive game and his responsibilities.

“He and (defense partner) Niko Mikkola are really, really important to us. We lost (defenseman) Aaron (Ekblad) who was having a baby for a couple of games, Gustav’s been out. Those two guys have been critical.”

Mikkola, who has been Jones’ primary partner since the latter arrived in Florida, said it’s clear his partner’s confidence is up this season.

“He’s skating well. I feel like he’s faster than he used to be, and he was fast before. Now I feel he’s flying on the ice,” Mikkola said. “He’s just moving his legs, making the plays. We read each other pretty well, so not too much thinking on the ice.”

Wait, the guy who broke one, maybe two bones in his foot by Jones’ count, got faster?

“Yeah, I know. But yeah, I feel he was right there right away. It’s a short preseason but you could see him on the ice,” Mikkola said.

Jones’ foot injury was the second of two he sustained last season. The first was especially tough. He got hit high with a shot in the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park in Miami on Jan. 2. It was the same day he was named the United States roster for the Winter Olympics, which he would then have to miss.

“It was unfortunate. We were riding a high there and then the outdoor game and in the first period that (injury) happens. Then kind of halfway through that rehab, I had some other issues. I missed the Olympics, so I was riding a high wave and then the low wave,” he said. “But things happen and you just have to move forward. It’s unfortunate I missed that opportunity but I’m happy that the U.S. won.”

Now Jones is happy and healthy, in his words, playing “pretty decent.” Certainly, an understated assessment. Jones’ game has been strong and he’s always looking to add to it.

“I think I’ve come a long way with the patience aspect. I’m not forcing it. I had a habit of maybe forcing it a little too much the past few years, so I’m just being patient within our system, within our game. Just letting the game come to me,” he said. “But it’s kind of a happy medium. You have to attack the game but also let it come to you in some ways and read the play.”