Jones scored a power-play goal on two shots while adding two hits, a blocked shot and a minus-2 rating in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Stars.

EDGE Analysis

The tally was the first of the season for Jones, who's off to a rough start with only two points and a minus-10 rating through the Jackets' first 11 games. With Patrik Laine now in the fold, the Columbus offense could find new life and boost Jones' production, especially with the man advantage, but the 26-year-old blueliner has the talent to break out of his funk all on his own.

Jones says he plans to negotiate with the Blue Jackets on a long-term contract when he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2021-22 season, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The fact that a player is open to a new deal normally wouldn't be news, but after Pierre-Luc Dubois forced a trade to Winnipeg without publicly providing a reason why, speculation developed that he wanted out of Columbus because Jones and Zach Werenski -- who share an agent with Dubois -- already had one foot out the door themselves. Both defensemen, however, have since indicated that they are more than willing to negotiate new deals when their contracts are up after next season, a refreshing change for Jackets fans who have seen a parade of stars, including Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, head elsewhere in recent years. As an unrestricted free agent, the 26-year-old Jones will command a significant payday when the time comes, but the organization will likely do everything it can to keep its impressive blue line intact.

Jones has yet to score a point through four games to begin the season.

EDGE Analysis

The 26-year-old blueliner has been seeing his usual big minutes and has fired 11 shots on net, but nothing has clicked yet. The Jackets' offense as a whole has been sluggish, scoring a total of eight goals in those four games, and Jones is far from alone in being a no-show so far. He'll look to shake off this early slump in the team's home opener Thursday against the Lightning.

Jones was among the players excluded from practice Friday as part of the NHL's COVID-19 protocols, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

In addition to Jones, fellow blueliners Vladislav Gavrikov, David Savard, Andrew Peeke and Michael Del Zotto were not in attendance for Friday's session. The team has less than a week before Opening Night against the Predators on Jan. 14 and would leave the club drastically thin throughout the lineup.

Jones scored a goal on three shots, went plus-2 and blocked five shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Maple Leafs in Game 3.

EDGE Analysis

Jones contributed the second tally of the Blue Jackets' comeback Thursday. The goal is his first point in the playoffs, but he's added 10 hits and 11 blocked shots through three games. The blueliner skated 32:40 during Game 3 -- he'll likely continue to see big minutes as a top-pairing defenseman.

Jones (ankle) will be available for the Blue Jackets' postseason matchup with Toronto, Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda reports.

EDGE Analysis

Jones was sidelined for 14 games due to his ankle injury before the league went on hiatus. As a result, the blueliner logged just 56 regular-season games this season and failed to reach the 40-point mark for the first time since 2015-16. With the defender fully fit, he should jump back into a power-play role versus the Leafs, where he recorded nine of his 30 points this year, making him a solid fantasy option in postseason contests.

Jones (ankle) has been skating and could be ready should the NHL season resume according to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.

EDGE Analysis

Jones has started skating prior to the league suspending play, so it would appear the defenseman hasn't suffered any setbacks at this point. While Kekalainen wouldn't go so far as to clear any specific players, all signs point to the Texan being ready to go once (if) the NHL starts back up.

Jones returned to the ice Sunday for the first time since undergoing ankle surgery Feb. 11.

EDGE Analysis

The 25-year-old was designated for injured reserve after suffering the ankle injury and was given an 8-to-10 week recovery timeline following the procedure. Barring a setback, Jones should be healthy once the NHL schedule resumes.

Jones (ankle) should be ready to rejoin the lineup once the NHL schedule resumes, Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

The stud blueliner underwent ankle surgery Feb. 11, and the original timeline for his recovery would have seen him return for the final couple games of the regular season as a best-case scenario. Instead, Jones will get ample time to recover during the shutdown, and he should be a key part of whatever playoff push the Jackets make once play resumes.

Jones (ankle) underwent successful ankle surgery Tuesday and is expected to miss at least eight weeks of action, Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda reports.

EDGE Analysis

The minimum eight weeks on this current timeline would put Jones' return right around the Blue Jackets' final two games of the regular season. Should the team fall out of a playoff spot, it will likely hold him out for the rest of the 2019-20 campaign. The 25-year-old blueliner has 30 points in 56 games while averaging 25:17 of ice time.