Just cut Buffalo out if this deal. They're giving nothing of substantial value here and getting the best haul.

If 3 months of David Savard is worth a 1st round pick, then a year of Seth Jones is getting AT LEAST a 1st round pick. There's absolutely no way this happens, especially if Ristolainen is the "best" piece coming back to CBJ. You might as well make it Seth Jones for Jack Johnson.

Let’s say that Jones never gets traded and leaves Columbus to free agency next summer. This could happen, but the most Columbus will ever get out of Jones is one more season. In my opinion, Ristolainen can break out in Columbus and bring great talent to Columbus for years to come. Plus, you don’t know what the draft picks can become. Therefore, you can’t call this a bad deal because Columbus gets good blue line service for years to come and Buffalo gets a significant defense improvement.