Seth Jones Trade Sends Ripple Effect Through Kyle Dubas' Trade Deadline Plans

Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins will very likely be selling players over the next few days as we approach Friday's trade deadline.

Action around the league has already started to tick up, as we saw Seth Jones moved to the Florida Panthers last night.

This particular trade could have strong implications for Dubas and the Penguins as they could be in a similar position with their own superstar defenseman.

Of course, that would be Erik Karlsson. Karlsson and Jones are similar for a number of reasons.

First, they both have term left on their contracts after this season. Second, they carry similar cap hits. (9.5 million for Jones versus 10 million for Karlsson)

Finally, neither the Blackhawks nor the Penguins are in a position where they need to trade the player.

The Blackhawks were able to get back Spencer Knight and a 1st round pick for Jones so what does that mean for Dubas with Karlsson?

Firstly, the Panthers are no longer in the market for an offensive defenseman, so there is one less buyer out there.

Perhaps the more important aspect though is how comparable the players are to each other.

Would Karlsson garner a similar return to Jones in a trade this season?

Well, this season Karlsson has 8 goals and 43 points through 61 games, compared to Jones' 7 goals and 27 points.

So based on production alone, Karlsson's value should be even higher. Furthermore, he has the stronger pedigree with three Norris trophies and five all-star selections compared to Jones' zero Norris wins and one all-star game.

Karlsson has been especially good lately, including his performance for Team Sweden at the Four Nations tournament.

So if the Blackhawks can get a decent goalie prospect in Spencer Knight and a first round pick for Jones, surely Dubas can do even better right?

Is the Penguins GM is willing to retain 25% of Karlsson's contract, that would bring his cap hit down to 7.5 million dollars, the same number Florida took on with Jones.

In that case, we would have to imagine that Karlsson would bring back at least a A-tier prospect, a first-round draft pick, plus another 'A' or 'B' tier asset, such as a second round pick or a B-tier prospect.

Either way, the return would replenish the Penguins' draft capital and prospect pool, both of which have been mortgaged over the last two decades as the team was constantly pursuing Stanley Cups.