VANCOUVER, B.C. – The Florida Panthers are getting a big body back on the blue line.
Out since Jan. 2, Seth Jones will return to action against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, head coach Paul Maurice announced after this morning’s skate at Rogers Place.
In his absence, the Panthers have gone 12-14-0.
“He was the big piece that went down,” Maurice said. “We survived [all our other injuries] because of him for the longest time. You just look at our analytics, when he came out of the lineup it changed the way we looked and played. Everybody is excited to get him back.”
Missing the last 26 games, Jones injured his collar bone in the first period of the 2026 NHL Winter Classic against the New York Rangers when he was hit up high by an errant puck.
Prior to his injury, Jones, who helped the Panthers capture their second straight Stanley Cup last season after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks just before the trade deadline, ranked first among Florida’s defensemen in goals (6), assists (18) and points (24).
Quarterbacking the team's top power play unit, he was also averaging a team-high 23:29 of ice time per game.
“He touches all areas,” Maurice said. “He’s a power play guy; he’s a penalty kill guy. He plays against the other team’s best. He’s as good a defender as he is an offensive player. I think he’s got a really good sense of when to jump in and make things happen.”
In his return, Jones will be paired with Dmitry Kulikov against the Canucks.
Getting a rest, Niko Mikkola will come out.
Florida and Vancouver will drop the puck at 10 p.m. ET.
