Confirmed with Link: UMass LD Zac Jones to join the Rangers!

[GoAwayPanarin]

Honestly shocked he signed. I thought for sure he was going back. I get the psychology behind going out with a championship. But I just hope he's physically and positionally ready. He's def bigger than he was when drafted but I think he's roughly Fox's size but with less wheels. We'll see. He's a smart kid like Fox.

This isn't true.

But he doesn't have the super computer brain that Fox has, thus I'd expect much rougher patches and a level of limitations towards overall impact that don't apply to Fox. I'm not too certain that they'll run with him even as a 3rd pair guy for the long haul but he'll get his shot.

 

[Lua]

You're making a hell of an assumption that none of those guys will pop by the time their ELC's are up.

It takes one good year.

I know and agree and definitely am hoping for them to be 60+ point players sooner rather than later, but I prefer to hedge my bet so in the event that they don't I get the satisfaction of having my cynicism validated

In either case, I don't see why that possibility should make us concerned about signing our deserving prospects to ELCs, even if perhaps it's half a year too early

 

[Kovalev27]

Could care less about the elc more concerned that he’s going to be rushed. I didn’t think he was ready although his defending has come a long way but clearly the Rangers do and he’s coming right up to the show.

big big surprise move here.

 

[wolfgaze]

I will be surprised if there is an explanation of anything other than this fairly straightforward narrative

Well consider if a reporter questioned him on this and said, "Two months ago you were asked about your readiness to play pro hockey and you said you weren't ready because of your physical size/maturity, and that you wanted to return to your junior year of college.... What has changed since you answered that question 2 months ago?"...

How is Jones going to respond to that question when his primary reason for feeling he wasn't ready to make the jump was his physical maturity, which we know cannot have changed much over the course of these 2 months?

Sure he can say his team just won a championship and he thought he really dominated in his play - but that still doesn't address the primary reason why he confidently stated he wasn't ready to make the jump...

So I'm thinking the Rangers either got in his ear and swayed him, or financially incentivized him to change his mind, or both - and I'd like to hear these details...

The notion that he's suddenly going to change his mind about an issue he clearly pinpointed and could not have addressed during that time span - it doesn't add up.... I don't see it as straightforward narrative at all... Maybe we won't find out what happened behind the scenes, but I'd sure be curious to know...

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I don't think we should also count out that maybe he said that line 2 months ago because he truly was thinking about going the UFA route and was going to use that as an excuse to why he wasn't signing this year. Ranger's maybe got wind of this which forced their hand to offer him a contract this season and burn a year off his ELC.

 

[wolfgaze]

Trouba not being able to be moved for 3 years is where they run into a pickle.

My concern is that the logjam caused by Trouba's NMC will result in a scenario where the Rangers end up moving one of their better defensive prospects before we know what we've really got in that player, simply because we have such a logjam and lack of roster spots opening up over the next 3 years... Then that prospect ends up developing into a high end player that we wish we would have retained or at least held onto for longer before moving in order to maximize the return....

I'm comfortable with trading young players and higher end prospects if it addresses a major roster hole and it's a quality trade.... But I'm not comfortable with moving our better prospects simply because we don't have the room for them and need to get some kind of return on our investment....

I'm optimistic about Schneider as a prospect - but I don't want to see him in the NHL any time soon because of our logjam situation and there being older prospects in the system.... I'd rather see Schneider marinate in the AHL for 2 seasons and earn top minutes and really develop his game - rather than seeing him enter into the NHL as a 19/20 year old playing minimal 3rd pairing minutes with some PK time... I think both the player and the organization would likely be better off in the long run going this route.... However if our defensive depth was different than it is and we had let's say 3 spots opening up on the blueline - I'd may have a different take on Schneider potentially joining the NHL soon than later...

Leaving a roster spot open to be earned over the next couple seasons may also allow the Rangers to get older prospects like Jones or Robertson into the line-up - both to see what these players can do at the NHL level and really know what they've got in these players (at this level), and to potentially showcase these players to other teams for a trade down the road...

(Saying all this assuming Lundkvist earns the 3rd pairing RD spot next season)

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Could care less about the elc more concerned that he’s going to be rushed. I didn’t think he was ready although his defending has come a long way but clearly the Rangers do and he’s coming right up to the show.

big big surprise move here.

The Rangers really haven't rushed any of their young defensemen. Fox, Lindgren, and Miller have all shown that they were ready when given the opportunity. I'm assuming the same for Jones and the other young Dmen in the pipeline.

 

[jay from jersey]

My concern is that the logjam caused by Trouba's NMC will result in a scenario where the Rangers end up moving one of their better defensive prospects before we know what we've really got in that player, simply because we have such a logjam and lack of roster spots opening up over the next 3 years... Then that prospect ends up developing into a high end player that we wish we would have retained or at least held onto for longer before moving in order to maximize the return....

I'm comfortable with trading young players and higher end prospects if it addresses a major roster hole and it's a quality trade.... But I'm not comfortable with moving our better prospects simply because we don't have the room for them and need to get some kind of return on our investment....

I'm optimistic about Schneider as a prospect - but I don't want to see him in the NHL any time soon because of our logjam situation and there being older prospects in the system.... I'd rather see Schneider marinate in the AHL for 2 seasons and earn top minutes and really develop his game - rather than seeing him enter into the NHL as a 19/20 year old playing minimal 3rd pairing minutes with some PK time... I think both the player and the organization would likely be better off in the long run going this route.... However if our defensive depth was different than it is and we had let's say 3 spots opening up on the blueline - I'd may have a different take on Schneider potentially joining the NHL soon than later...

Leaving a roster spot open to be earned over the next couple seasons may also allow the Rangers to get older prospects like Jones or Robertson into the line-up - both to see what these players can do at the NHL level and really know what they've got in these players (at this level), and to potentially showcase these players to other teams for a trade down the road...

(Saying all this assuming Lundkvist earns the 3rd pairing RD spot next season)

Yea I’m in the same boat. I don’t think they are going to let either Schneider or Robertson marinate too long in Hartford. I can’t it. A year at most I would guess

 

[Anthony5967]

I also love this BC it allows him to go into the summer knowing what he has to work on, and then he has all year next year to apply it. Great move.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I also love this BC it allows him to go into the summer knowing what he has to work on, and then he has all year next year to apply it. Great move.

And he can work with guys in the organization, spend an entire summer on the team through Traverse City (If they play there again this year), training camp and pre-season

 

[QJL]

I don’t get the ELC concerns. Fox, Lindgren, Miller, and Trouba are locked in.

At least one of Jones, Lundkvist, Robertson, or Schneider will be moved. I think Robertson is by far the most likely. The other 3 stay unless a top 6 C is involved.

 

[Anthony5967]

I don’t get the ELC concerns. Fox, Lindgren, Miller, and Trouba are locked in.

At least one of Jones, Lundkvist, Robertson, or Schneider will be moved. I think Robertson is by far the most likely. The other 3 stay unless a top 6 C is involved.

They’re going to acquire a top flight C.

 

[2014nyr]

i don't think its that surprising he changed his stance. winning a championship helps add a sense of completion and makes it easier to move on from. also, the rangers made it pretty financially appealing. and i'd imagine part of the sell was whats already in place, its in his best interest to make the jump to the pros and experience that now with a full summer to prepare knowing what that level takes. i never got any impression he had any cares about the depth chart, but i suppose the org may not have wanted to find out what could change there if they didn't get him signed sooner than later. i think the bigger incentive is because of said prospect glut on d, and assuming say 3-4 of the still to come guys track towards quality nhl dmen, which seems very likely at the moment - though nothing can be assumed from an org pov - there will be trades at some point. to that end, getting him in now, a head start on a summer into camp, gives them a significant amount of evaluation time. when the time comes, you want to know as much as you possibly can making those decisions. this means he'll almost certainly be in camp on the ice w/ nils and the rest next fall instead of evaluating from afar. so both sides ultimately benefit it feels like.

the one thing i'll say about him as a player is these fox comparisons aren't very close as far as how they play. they're both undersized dmen with offensive talent, thats about it. jones is a much more dynamic, or active player than fox. fox is all between the ears, he slows everything down, he executes fakes perfectly to buy time. he's a good skater, but he's not elite there. jones is way more active and fleet, but he's not where fox is defensively, and i'd expect a lot more adventures early with him. like k'andre although different in how they do it, his skating can cover for a lot of his risks...but in the zone i think there will be more issues for him dealing with nhl players. style wise i'd compare him to gostisbehere, who pre knee injury, was incredibly dynamic. he was a bit more refined coming out, but thats probably a better player to have in mind for him. to be clear thats not to put a ceiling on what he might ultimately become, though that would still be a solid return, just that whatever level he gets to, he'll probably look much different than fox doing it.

 

[egelband]

I feel like this is putting the cart before the horse. The only one of these players that is up for a "big" raise is Fox. Maybe Igor gets a decently-sized contract.

Laf and kakko and Chytil need to actually put up numbers before anyone should worry about their pay. Laf is pacing <30 points in what is amounting to a disappointing rookie season. Kakko is pacing <30 points in what is amounting to a disappointing sophomore season. Kravstov is looking like a player, but we still don't know what we have in him yet.

If they start producing in a manner that commands a big payday, we can move the world to accommodate their next contracts. At that point we can consider that a good problem to have, but I don't see a reason to be concerned in the short term, especially not when it comes to signing players like Jones.

Totally. If these guys all blow up and require big paydays....that’s great. There will be tons of options. Nothing to worry about.

 

[egelband]

The only player who is impacted by this is Tarmo Reunanen who was on the verge of cracking the line up IMO.

This is the only “problem” about having so many prospects...it’s hard to find enough playing time for all of them. But...if the coach is juggling between one interesting prospect and another...well, it could be worse.

 

[egelband]

Well if it was the same group of people running the franchise for 81 years I’d be a lot more worried.

Oh and to another previous post, I see Robertson’s game as more reminiscent of a young Marc Staal

Staal was really good before the injuries...as you know. So that’s encouraging.

 

[pld459666]

Well consider if a reporter questioned him on this and said, "Two months ago you were asked about your readiness to play pro hockey and you said you weren't ready because of your physical size/maturity, and that you wanted to return to your junior year of college.... What has changed since you answered that question 2 months ago?"...

How is Jones going to respond to that question when his primary reason for feeling he wasn't ready to make the jump was his physical maturity, which we know cannot have changed much over the course of these 2 months?

Sure he can say his team just won a championship and he thought he really dominated in his play - but that still doesn't address the primary reason why he confidently stated he wasn't ready to make the jump...

So I'm thinking the Rangers either got in his ear and swayed him, or financially incentivized him to change his mind, or both - and I'd like to hear these details...

The notion that he's suddenly going to change his mind about an issue he clearly pinpointed and could not have addressed during that time span - it doesn't add up.... I don't see it as straightforward narrative at all... Maybe we won't find out what happened behind the scenes, but I'd sure be curious to know...

If we have learned anything about college level hockey players its not to take anything they say seriously.

I get that there is no angle in him saying he's not physically ready, but while he doesn't have an "agent" they still have advisors that instruct them on what to say and how to answer lots of questions.

Also, I found it pretty straight forward that the Rangers agreed to burn a year of his ELC to ensure that they signed the player today.

3 months from now, Zach may have had a change of heart.

15 months from now, Zach may not want to sign and in 27 months he could walk.

I get that these are issues to deal with when they arise, but if you can eliminate that as an issue today, and all you do is burn 1 year off his ELC.

Seems like a no brainer move to me.

 

[mas0764]

One Cup in 81 yeah, why worry?

Well, you are responding to a poster who has been on a mission to go around chastising everyone and being snarky for criticizing David Quinn, so it is likely we have a homer on our hands.

 

[GAGLine]

I feel bad for Libor and Tarmo, though.
They are both 6/7 D right now, and either of them in the right fit on a decent team would play 5+ games out of 10. Hajek's playing a little too much (although he doesn't shy away from shooting, which is refreshing), and Reunanen deserves (much?) more of a look.

I also feel bad for Skinner. Sick name, but little room. If he was NCAA, then I'd assume he's gone. If he sticks around for another D being traded, then he could actually be a Ranger. He could also be a Keane that gets us a useful forward for a year or two.

Hajek has had his chances to make the team, and unless he gets claimed by Seattle, he will likely have another chance next year. Reunanen hasn't had many chances yet, but again, he'll have another chance next year. He could also be called up at some point this year. With Jones joining the team, it's less likely, but he isn't here yet and injuries happen.

Skinner is only 19. If not for the pandemic, he'd still be playing in the OHL. He has done well so far in the ECHL/AHL, but he's likely still a year or two away from seriously contending for a spot on the Rangers.

To quote Yoda, always in motion is the future. A lot can happen between now and when we'd need to make a decision on Skinner.

 

[QJL]

Honestly shocked he signed. I thought for sure he was going back. I get the psychology behind going out with a championship. But I just hope he's physically and positionally ready. He's def bigger than he was when drafted but I think he's roughly Fox's size but with less wheels. We'll see. He's a smart kid like Fox.

Less wheels? You’re in for a surprise.

Jones has some of the best edges of any defensive prospect. He’ll remind fans of DeAngelo dancing on the power play. Skating is the least of my concerns for Zac.

 

[alkurtz]

There might be another calculation to his decision. Certainly he is aware of the plethora of young D in the organization, both here and in the pipeline. If he waited another year to sign, he would be at the bottom of the pecking order just in terms of his chance to make an impact and impression. By signing now, he has the opportunity to put himself on equal footing with the young D not here yet but on the way. If he waited, that opportunity might not be so readily available.

 

[nyr2k2]

Not sure if it will stick, but last night NYR had no number assigned, and today they list him as 6.

6 has been worn by such luminaries as Dylan McIlrath, Jeff Woywitka, Wade Redden, Darius Kasparaitis, and Manny Malhotra. I remember it most from Doug Lidster. Slats also wore it for three years. Let's hope he keeps it and continues its solid legacy.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Not sure if it will stick, but last night NYR had no number assigned, and today they list him as 6.

6 has been worn by such luminaries as Dylan McIlrath, Jeff Woywitka, Wade Redden, Darius Kasparaitis, and Manny Malhotra. I remember it most from Doug Lidster. Slats also wore it for three years. Let's hope he keeps it and continues its solid legacy.

Yeah, with 24 and 51 taken, the numbers left were 6 and 39 (of the ones he's used before). I'm sure he would have preferred 51 but Reunanen already has that one assigned to him this season.

On the other hand, the number thing isn't as important to him as it is to Kravtsov with 74 for instance.

 

[GAGLine]

I don't know if anyone else has posted it, but in Carp's article yesterday, he noted that Jones' contract won't include any performance bonuses.

Rangers at the trade deadline: Gorton's quiet day, Jones' arrival, Kraken protections, DeAngelo's future, more

Jones is reportedly close to signing a deal with no performance bonuses, which would begin and burn the first year of the contract right away.

If that's the tradeoff for burning the first year, that's good for us. Kakko, Laf, Kravtsov, Fox and Miller will have a combined 7.55 mil in potential bonuses. That puts us 1.4375 mil over the bonus cap.

Lundkvist will likely have bonuses, maybe max bonuses (2.85 mil). I don't know if Lundkvist will be eligible for a deal similar to Jones. I don't think he'll be able to burn a year by the time he signs, since the NHL season will be over. So more likely, his ELC will start in 2021-22 and will include at least some bonuses. Given that he is one of the top prospects in the world, the bonuses are likely to be significant.

Other players with bonuses who could make the team:

Barron: 850k
Richards: 500k
Schneider: 400k
Robertson: 132.5k
Reunanen: 82.5k
Skinner: 82.5k
Rueschhoff: 57.5k

If we assume Lundkvist and Barron both make the team, and Lundkvist gets max bonuses, that puts us at 11.25 mil, which is 5.1375 mil over the bonus cap. That means we'd have to leave at least 5.1375 mil in cap space free to accommodate those potential bonuses. Fortunately, that shouldn't be a problem since we have so much cap space next year, but not having Jones with bonuses helps to get us under the bonus cap sooner rather than later.

After next year, Kakko, Kravtsov and Fox will all be off their ELCs. Of course, we'll have to pay them more than they are making now, especially Fox, but they won't have any performance bonuses and we should be able to get the total bonuses under the cap, or very close to it, depending on how much Lundkvist gets.

 

[cwede]

Could care less about the ELC, more concerned that he’s going to be rushed. I didn’t think he was ready, although his defending has come a long way, but clearly the Rangers do, and he’s coming right up to the show.
big big surprise move here.

joining the team now, ie burning the ELC year
has little to do with NYR believing Jones ie ready for NHL
its an aspect of the negotiations,
he may not get NHL games this season (Haggerty didn't)
and unless/until he proves he's ready, will spend season(s) in Hartford
the next 1 or 2 seasons he might have developed his game in Amherst,
will now happen 50 miles South on I-91 in Hartford
Jones is no younger than players drafted at 18, from CHL Major Junior, after their 2 post-draft seasons, when those usually turn pro