Quoting: Isles777
I’d trade ebs before I trade toews. We better be getting a top line winger if we trade toews, but IMO he should be untouchable
In fact, the same logic from your statement above is exactly why the Jackets would decline the trade.
Regardless of your disdain for Jones, he is definitely a top 10 shut-down RD in the league, and possibly top 5.
There is no need for more Defencemen in Columbus, their need is for more top line scoring forwards to replace Panarin after he left in UFA..
Panarin may not have been a center, but he was able to drive the play on the ice like a center from the LW position, and make all the players around him better.
Foudy is a center that looks like he has the skill level, hands, and vision to drive the play on the ice, and Jackets will not be willing to part with him.
And just to put in perspective (for those who solely measure on metrics as opposed to actually evaluating based on watching Jones play night in and night out, and underwriting the totality of the team around him): any top tier defender's analytics will take a hit with: 1) a very low scoring team, 2) a team with almost 500 man-games lost to injury (if the season wasn't stopped early) and 3) the majority of the remaining healthy roster a bunch of rookies and journeymen.
When the Jackets play healthy and have the talent in the lineup night in and night out rather than filling roster spots and people (forwards) playing a line or two above their ability, and they also start scoring the puck like Toronto, and Washington, and Tampa...Jones' on-ice metrics will improve considerably.