Nice write up. I'm not all that familiar with how CAR has handled the roster in the past. Have they ever (or often) carried 8 defensemen? do they play 11F 7D more than other teams? If not, I'd be surprised they carry 8 during the year.
Re Jones: He did play better toward the end of last year when paired with his brother (something I did NOT see coming), but he is definitely an adventure in his own zone. I think the reason he got so much ice time last year was that there really weren't many other options available. The Hawks wanted to keep their prospects in Rockford to keep pushing for the playoffs and Ian Mitchell kind of fell flat.
I'm jealous of that D group, but the Hawks have a ton of D prospects that should be coming up in the next three years. Hopefully, they come close to your group!