Jones: Being booed by home fans 'comes with the territory' of contract

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones took ownership of a miserable performance Monday night against the Calgary Flames that had the home fans booing him.

Jones was a minus-4 in a 5-2 loss despite logging only 16 minutes of ice time, a significant drop from the 24:40 he's averaging on the season. Jones took heat for an ill-advised turnover that led to a shorthanded goal for the Flames minutes after Chicago gained momentum from a goal by Connor Bedard.

"That's what comes with the territory of the contract that I got, and I'm willing to stand in front of that," Jones told The Athletic's Mark Lazerus.

Jones is the Blackhawks' highest-paid player with a $9.5-million cap hit through 2028. The contract, orchestrated by former general manager Stan Bowman, was met with immediate scrutiny due to Jones' history of defensive deficiencies.

Chicago has deployed Jones primarily as a top-pairing defender during his three-plus seasons with the club. Jones said he believes his salary wouldn't be an issue if the Blackhawks weren't at the bottom of the standings for a third straight campaign.

"I think if we were winning a lot of games, (the contract) wouldn't be a big deal," he said. "But when the fan base is frustrated as they are now, they want to see results. They're paying for a product they're not getting. And I'm not taking the blame off myself by any means. But that's what comes with it."

The Blackhawks have lost nine of their last 11 games and rank dead last in the NHL.