With the Chicago Wolves going independent, Carolina has no AHL affiliate. They have made a deal with the Eagles to loan dman Caleb Jones to Colorado. #Avs #GoAvsGo #Canes #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/vV210C4WK1

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 9, 2023

Jones, who was a fourth-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers, is the brother of Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones. He is also the son of former Denver Nuggets power forward Popeye Jones. Caleb is a versatile two-way defenseman who can fill many roles. He is aggressive on the blue line and physical on the boards. Jones plays a very mobile game with his head up and aware of the play ahead of him. Now, he will become one of the Avalanche’s top choices to call up when they need a defenseman in Denver.

Unless the Hurricanes recall him now, Burke will continue to stay with the Eagles. Burke plays a 200-foot game, often leading the play out of the defensive zone. After passing to the winger, he crashes the net for rebounds or tap-ins. In December last year, Burke was called up to the Avalanche to make his NHL debut against the Boston Bruins, a team he grew up cheering for. In his two-game stint, he could not generate any points. Burke will stay with the Eagles because of their connection with the Hurricanes, which is fortunate since he and his wife recently had a baby boy.

The Avalanche have additional blue line choices for potential recalls. The Eagles’ disadvantage is working with a non-owned prospect in their system. This can hurt the player’s development chances of maintaining consistent ice time. The Avalanche and Eagles now have a congested blue line. Players must work harder for ice time. The sooner Carolina can secure their own affiliate club, the better.

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MEDICAL UPDATES: Defenseman Caleb Jones is expected to miss approximately six weeks (left wrist strain).

Forwards Jonathan Toews and Jujhar Khaira and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will not practice today (maintenance).

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 8, 2021

Jones joins Wyatt Kalynuk in the press box to start the season, as it was announced on Wednesday the second-year blueliner will miss 2–4 weeks with a right ankle sprain.

Jones was expected to make the 23-man roster to start the season as a depth defenseman. The 24-year-old Texas native and brother of fellow Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones is entering his fourth NHL season, having spent the first three years of his career with the Edmonton Oilers.

Jones was acquired in the offseason from the Oilers in the Duncan Keith trade.

The Blackhawks also announced the re-assignment of four players on Friday, as 2021 draft picks Nolan Allan and Colton Dach were returned to their respective junior teams, while Evan Barratt and Dmitri Osipov were assigned to the Rockford IceHogs.

With the four assignments, the Blackhawks’ training camp roster now stands at 32 players with 17 forwards, 11 defensemen and four goaltenders.

The Blackhawks will conclude preseason play on Saturday, hosting the Minnesota Wild at the United Center.

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The reporting on the negotiations between the Blackhawks and Oilers turned out to be accurate—retained salary by Chicago had been rumored to be a sticking point. In the end, the Oilers acquired Keith, who has two years remaining on his current contract, along with minor-league forward Tim Soderlund, for 24-year-old defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional third-round pick—with Chicago not having to retain any of Keith’s salary.

The Chicago media—and Blackhawk Twitter—were quick to proclaim this a big win for Blackhawks President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Stan Bowman. But, that is not unusual. Bowman could acquire a roll of tape and a frighteningly large segment of the fanbase would still be “juiced.”

The key to this deal is the 24-year-old Jones, not because he is a hugely promising player, but because he just happens to be the younger brother of a rumored Blackhawk offseason target, Columbus defenseman Seth Jones.

Caleb Jones, by himself, is probably yet another No. 5–7 defenseman on a Chicago team already chock full of them. But, if his presence in Chicago could help the Hawks sign the elder Jones to an extension (after first trading for him), then the Keith trade will have worked out very well for Chicago, both in terms of securing a valuable rebuild piece for the blue line, and most of the cap room needed to sign him.

If not, then Caleb Jones and a third-round draft pick (the majority of which never actually play in the NHL) is not a “winning return” for an aging, but still likely effective (in the right situation, i.e. outside Chicago), Keith.

Finally, we would be remiss if we did not tap our sticks on the departure of a true warrior, and a vital cog in the great Blackhawk teams from 2009–15. Keith will be missed, and his No. 2 is certainly headed to the United Center rafters before too terribly long.

All we have for now.

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