Seth Jones' arrival makes Panthers deeper for Blue Jackets' challenge

Five-time All-Star defenseman Seth Jones seems thrilled to have joined the Florida Panthers, who are set to host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night in Sunrise.

Jones made his Panthers debut on Monday when Florida defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1.

"When you look at the standard in the NHL, this is it," Jones said of the Panthers. "They are physical and aggressive."

The Panthers gave up young goalie Spencer Knight as part of the package to get Jones. Knight, who was Florida's first-round pick in 2019, made 41 saves during his Blackhawks debut Monday to earn a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings.

Jones, 30, is seven years older than Knight, but the Panthers -- who are trying to repeat as Stanley Cup champions -- are more focused on the present as opposed to the future.

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, for one, was impressed with Jones in his Florida debut.

"(Jones) is an unbelievable skater," Bobrovsky said. "He played well on both sides of the puck. He's a great addition to our team."

With Knight gone, the Panthers made a move Wednesday to add a veteran goalie, acquiring backup goalie Vitek Vanecek in a trade with the San Jose Sharks.

Vanecek, a 29-year-old native of the Czech Republic, has 181 games of NHL experience with a .903 save percentage and a 2.82 goals-against average.

However, he is having a poor year with a 3-10-3 record, .882 save percentage and 3.88 goals-against average.

Chris Driedger, 30, is Florida's other backup option. He has played just two NHL games this season, but his career statistics include a .917 save percentage and a 2.45 GAA.

To be sure, the Panthers -- who have won four straight games -- will ride Bobrovsky as much as possible. Bobrovsky is 26-13-2 this season with a .906 save percentage and a 2.55 GAA.

While the Panthers are in a tight fight with Toronto for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, the Blue Jackets have surprised this season as they hold a slight edge for the top wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

As such, Columbus gave forward Mathieu Olivier a six-year, $18-million contract extension on Wednesday.

Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell has credited Olivier, defenseman Zach Werenski and center Sean Monahan with leading Columbus.

"Those guys have stepped up in the (locker room) when we've needed it," Waddell said. "All three of them are true professionals and our younger guys can learn from them in how to prepare for games and practices."

Olivier leads the NHL with 11 fights. Werenski, one of the top defensemen in the league, paces Columbus in assists (46) and points (66).

Monahan has 41 points and ranks tied for second on the team with a plus-17 ranking.

Kirill Marchenko, 24, leads the Blue Jackets with a career-high 24 goals.

Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins, 30, is 22-15-4 with an .896 save percentage and a 3.02 GAA. He is having his best season since he won 27 games in 2021-22.

The Blue Jackets and Panthers have met just once this season, with Florida winning 4-3 in Columbus on Oct. 15 with Knight and Merzlikins in net.

--Field Level Media