Seth Jones to miss Games, replaced by LaCombe

Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones will miss the Olympics, with USA Hockey announcing Wednesday that he will be replaced by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe.

Jones was moved to long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on Monday after he sustained an upper-body injury in the first period of the Panthers' 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2.

Jones, 31, was initially considered to be out on a week-to-week basis. But the decision to move him to LTIR raised questions about whether he would be healthy before the United States men's national team plays its first game at the Olympics on Feb. 12 against Latvia in Milan.

Now it's LaCombe who will be heading to Italy as he seeks to help Team USA win its third Olympic gold medal in men's hockey and its first since 1980.

LaCombe, 25, used his second full campaign with the Ducks to present an argument for why he should be under Games consideration. He went from two goals and 17 points in 71 games as a rookie in 2023-24 to scoring 14 goals and 43 points while logging more than 22 minutes per game last season. He entered Wednesday with six goals and 31 points while averaging more than 24 minutes per game in 49 contests.

He was part of the Team USA roster that in May won its first world championship title since 1960. It was just the third time that the U.S. won gold at the men's world championships.

Adding LaCombe to the Olympic roster could achieve a few items for Team USA. At 6-foot-2, he gives the Americans another sizable player on the back end who can be used as a puck-moving option in 5-on-5 play and the power play. He also has logged more than 100 short-handed minutes in three consecutive seasons.

LaCombe joins a defensive unit that already featured the Minnesota Wild's Brock Faber and Quinn Hughes in addition to Noah Hanifin (Golden Knights), Charlie McAvoy (Bruins), Jake Sanderson (Senators), Jaccob Slavin (Hurricanes) and Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets).