Player Discussion Zac Jones

[2014nyr]

really want to see jones take a roster spot. might be higher than most on him in that i think he could be an important guy right away. he more or less replaces that more dynamic presence on the blue line we lost with tony d. he can be quickly jumpstart the kind of rushes coming out of the zone that back teams off and hes great creating from the blue line - both will help break down teams structure/open up the ice - something we have had a lot of trouble with at times. love his hockey iq. love the way he carries himself too, went to the ahl last year and made the most of it...doesnt see himself as above attending rookie camp - sees it as a way to get his legs under him for main camp. the right attitude goes a long way

 

[Levitate]

I like Lindgren in general, but yeah I think the coaches need to be realistic about results and while I have no doubt they'll start the year with Lindgren/Fox and Miller/Trouba, they need to be open to shaking that up if we see some pains. Swapping Lindgren and Miller isn't a bad thing

I also really like Jones and hope he can impress the coaches enough to stick on the roster. He's small but moves the puck so well, he could have a great niche on this team for a bit

 

[McRanger92]

Really like the way Jones has handled himself. Looks and sounds like a leader and that he’s determined to make the roster. I would be stunned if he doesn’t. His strength will be a determining factor on if he makes it, because he can move the puck. Best case scenario is a Torey Krug/Sam Girard type imo

 

[eco's bones]

Really like the way Jones has handled himself. Looks and sounds like a leader and that he’s determined to make the roster. I would be stunned if he doesn’t. His strength will be a determining factor on if he makes it, because he can move the puck. Best case scenario is a Torey Krug/Sam Girard type imo

Much rather he's like Krug who has more battle in him than Girard. Both those guys though need a larger and more defensive minded partner to clean up some of their defensive issues. In Jones case what would make more sense is Miller goes to the first pair with Fox, Trouba works with Jones and Lindgren with Schneider. Jones is a last penalty kill option of the six though when he can Gallant should try to get Jones at least some pk time. I don't like defensemen who can't play in all situations.

If Robertson makes the team the Rangers might keep the pairings they have and go with Schneider and Robertson as the third pair....sometimes maybe switching with other partners if they're struggling against some particular team.

That is also whether or not the Rangers pick someone up on waivers. That might change things up a bit too.

Much rather he's like Krug who has more battle in him than Girard. Both those guys though need a larger and more defensive minded partner to clean up some of their defensive issues. In Jones case what would make more sense is Miller goes to the first pair with Fox, Trouba works with Jones and Lindgren with Schneider. Jones is a last penalty kill option of the six though when he can Gallant should try to get Jones at least some pk time. I don't like defensemen who can't be relied on in all defensive situations.

If Robertson makes the team the Rangers might keep the pairings they have and go with Schneider and Robertson as the third pair....sometimes maybe switching with other partners if they're struggling against some particular team.

That is also whether or not the Rangers pick someone up on waivers. That might change things up a bit too.

 

[chosen]

Much rather he's like Krug who has more battle in him than Girard. Both those guys though need a larger and more defensive minded partner to clean up some of their defensive issues. In Jones case what would make more sense is Miller goes to the first pair with Fox, Trouba works with Jones and Lindgren with Schneider. Jones is a last penalty kill option of the six though when he can Gallant should try to get Jones at least some pk time. I don't like defensemen who can't play in all situations.

If Robertson makes the team the Rangers might keep the pairings they have and go with Schneider and Robertson as the third pair....sometimes maybe switching with other partners if they're struggling against some particular team.

That is also whether or not the Rangers pick someone up on waivers. That might change things up a bit too.

I think Jones would be good on the PK. I think quickness is more important than size on the PK.

 

[will1066]

It's suddenly looking really bad for Jones.

1. Got beat by Grubbe for a goal.
2. Hajek has enabled Schneider to open up offensively.
3. Robertson has impressed.

Trade Jones now.

(I'm spoofing the board habit of hot takes based on one bad occurrence.)

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

It's suddenly looking really bad for Jones.

1. Got beat by Grubbe for a goal.
2. Hajek has enabled Schneider to open up offensively.
3. Robertson has impressed.

Trade Jones now.

(I'm spoofing the board habit of hot takes based on one bad occurrence.)

maybe we can get a top10 protected 1st for him?

 

[will1066]

maybe we can get a top10 protected 1st for him?

C'mon, Drury.

 

[eco's bones]

The 6D is an open spot and I’m not sure any of the candidates (Jones, Hajek or Robertson) are going to prove good enough to take it and hold it this year. In Zac’s and Matt’s case they might be close but I’m not sure either are ready…..so maybe the best case scenario is Hajek for a half season and one or both of Zac, Matt get a bit more seasoning in Hartford and come up midway.

 

[brakeyawself]

really want to see jones take a roster spot. might be higher than most on him in that i think he could be an important guy right away. he more or less replaces that more dynamic presence on the blue line we lost with tony d. he can be quickly jumpstart the kind of rushes coming out of the zone that back teams off and hes great creating from the blue line - both will help break down teams structure/open up the ice - something we have had a lot of trouble with at times. love his hockey iq. love the way he carries himself too, went to the ahl last year and made the most of it...doesnt see himself as above attending rookie camp - sees it as a way to get his legs under him for main camp. the right attitude goes a long way

Same. If Jones doesn't win a spot early, I totally expect him to see time later in the season either way. I assume he and Robertson both. I really see Jones as a possibility for Schneider's long term partner. They'd seem to compliment one another and Jones could eventually be a very good PP2 QB. Which stinks for Schneider and Miller, but not sure they'll be getting a ton of PP time.

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

The more I see of Jones, the less I'm impressed. Glad he sat tonight, and good to see Schneider and whatever forwards were out there not get entirely pinned in their own end for several minutes.

TBH I really don't know what they see in Jones. His "offense" is nothing other than limp fadeaway wristers on net from the left point, and his foot speed - while better than last year - is still quite slow by NHL standards. He's not big enough or strong enough, and it's frustrating watching Schneider defer to him in the offensive zone so that he can lob muffins at the net. Reminds me very much of another underperforming #6 in blue in recent years, although at least without the horrible contract.

I'd rather see Hajek get the ice time at this point, but 6D is definitely proving to be a weakness thus far.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

The kid is still easing his way into the league. He needs to be a bit stronger on the puck and more aggressive in the D zone. Otherwise, he looks fine. It's nice to have another D besides Fox that doesn't treat the puck like a live grenade.

It's also a very bizarre take to criticize his shot, since he clearly doesn't shoot to score. Fox does the same thing. Would you rather he takes slapshots that get blocked for odd man rushes and breakaways, like Trouba does?

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

The kid is still easing his way into the league. He needs to be a bit stronger on the puck and more aggressive in the D zone. Otherwise, he looks fine. It's nice to have another D besides Fox that doesn't treat the puck like a live grenade.

It's also a very bizarre take to criticize his shot, since he clearly doesn't shoot to score. Fox does the same thing. Would you rather he takes slapshots that get blocked for odd man rushes and breakaways, like Trouba does?

For a defenseman who's considered a possible prospect based on his offense, it is a big deal. There's nothing to his shot, and he doesn't appear to be capable of shooting to score from the point.

Fox:
-Absolutely can blast away from the point
-When shooting for a tip absolutely makes sure there is a teammate within reach for a deflection AND doesn't constantly aim high glove.

vs. Jones:
-Does not use his slapshot.
-Takes bad angle point wristers high glove every time he doesn't have a defender immediately on him, no matter where he or his teammates are on the ice, most of the time leading to puck recovery by the other team in the Rangers' Ozone.

HIs D is lacking as well, but if his offense is underwhelming and projects to be, then what is the point of playing him? This team has fallen in love with lots of players with questionable skillsets and good college careers in the past. Fox was the exception (because he actually had the skill), and he showed early on he could be elite. But I think it's much more likely Jones is another Thomas Pock/Matt Gilroy/Mike Mottau in the making just based on what he's shown.

The #s don't lie:
Jones: 27 NHL games, averaging 15 minutes a night and seeing PP time. 6 points, all assists. And -12 on what has generally been a pretty good team overall the last 2 seasons (and if you prefer analytics, bad Corsi and Fenwick numbers generally around 40%).

Offensively, that actually puts him behind Pock, ahead of Mottau, and tied with Gilroy on points (though Gilroy had 4 goals, but also got more ice time than Jones) this early in their respective NHL careers. And of al of these players, Mottau and Jones are the only ones to have not scored a goal in their first 27 games in the league.

For comparison, Fox had 5 goals and 10 assists in the first 27 games of his NHL career.

Easy to say small sample size, but we're talking about an offensive defenseman. Inability to score a goal in 27 games is huge for an offensive defenseman. It means he's failing to score at a 3 goal per season pace!

Now if Jones was showing any upside, I'd be more willing to give him a look. Earlier in their careers, we saw lots of flashes in the pan with guys like Chytil and Laffy and Kakko - even when they weren't putting up points - that said, that's why we brought him here, I want to see more of that! I don't see that with Jones. I just see another guy who was able to dominate weaker competition whose game doesn't translate to the NHL. If I'm wrong, I'll eat my hat. But I don't think I am.

 

[JohnC]

*whispers* he's better than Schneider and is scapegoated because of his height *whispers*

 

[Beer League Sniper]

For a defenseman who's considered a possible prospect based on his offense, it is a big deal. There's nothing to his shot, and he doesn't appear to be capable of shooting to score from the point.

Fox:
-Absolutely can blast away from the point
-When shooting for a tip absolutely makes sure there is a teammate within reach for a deflection AND doesn't constantly aim high glove.

vs. Jones:
-Does not use his slapshot.
-Takes bad angle point wristers high glove every time he doesn't have a defender immediately on him, no matter where he or his teammates are on the ice, most of the time leading to puck recovery by the other team in the Rangers' Ozone.

HIs D is lacking as well, but if his offense is underwhelming and projects to be, then what is the point of playing him? This team has fallen in love with lots of players with questionable skillsets and good college careers in the past. Fox was the exception (because he actually had the skill), and he showed early on he could be elite. But I think it's much more likely Jones is another Thomas Pock/Matt Gilroy/Mike Mottau in the making just based on what he's shown.

The #s don't lie:
Jones: 27 NHL games, averaging 15 minutes a night and seeing PP time. 6 points, all assists. And -12 on what has generally been a pretty good team overall the last 2 seasons (and if you prefer analytics, bad Corsi and Fenwick numbers generally around 40%).

Offensively, that actually puts him behind Pock, ahead of Mottau, and tied with Gilroy on points (though Gilroy had 4 goals, but also got more ice time than Jones) this early in their respective NHL careers. And of al of these players, Mottau and Jones are the only ones to have not scored a goal in their first 27 games in the league.

For comparison, Fox had 5 goals and 10 assists in the first 27 games of his NHL career.

Easy to say small sample size, but we're talking about an offensive defenseman. Inability to score a goal in 27 games is huge for an offensive defenseman. It means he's failing to score at a 3 goal per season pace!

Now if Jones was showing any upside, I'd be more willing to give him a look. Earlier in their careers, we saw lots of flashes in the pan with guys like Chytil and Laffy and Kakko - even when they weren't putting up points - that said, that's why we brought him here, I want to see more of that! I don't see that with Jones. I just see another guy who was able to dominate weaker competition whose game doesn't translate to the NHL. If I'm wrong, I'll eat my hat. But I don't think I am.

Comparing Jones to Fox in anything other than a stylistic nature is a fool’s errand. Fox had video game numbers in college. Of course they’re going to perform differently early in their respective careers.

Jones looks the part. He plays a smart game. As he settles in, his stats will start to look better. Getting the hook every other game for a clearly inferior player in Hajek isn’t going to help him settle.

 

[cwede]

For a defenseman who's considered a possible prospect based on his offense, it is a big deal. There's nothing to his shot, and he doesn't appear to be capable of shooting to score from the point.

Fox:
-Absolutely can blast away from the point
-When shooting for a tip absolutely makes sure there is a teammate within reach for a deflection AND doesn't constantly aim high glove.

vs. Jones:
-Does not use his slapshot.
-Takes bad angle point wristers high glove every time he doesn't have a defender immediately on him, no matter where he or his teammates are on the ice, most of the time leading to puck recovery by the other team in the Rangers' Ozone.

HIs D is lacking as well, but if his offense is underwhelming and projects to be, then what is the point of playing him? This team has fallen in love with lots of players with questionable skillsets and good college careers in the past. Fox was the exception (because he actually had the skill), and he showed early on he could be elite. But I think it's much more likely Jones is another Thomas Pock/Matt Gilroy/Mike Mottau in the making just based on what he's shown.

The #s don't lie:
Jones: 27 NHL games, averaging 15 minutes a night and seeing PP time. 6 points, all assists. And -12 on what has generally been a pretty good team overall the last 2 seasons (and if you prefer analytics, bad Corsi and Fenwick numbers generally around 40%).

Offensively, that actually puts him behind Pock, ahead of Mottau, and tied with Gilroy on points (though Gilroy had 4 goals, but also got more ice time than Jones) this early in their respective NHL careers. And of al of these players, Mottau and Jones are the only ones to have not scored a goal in their first 27 games in the league.

For comparison, Fox had 5 goals and 10 assists in the first 27 games of his NHL career.

Easy to say small sample size, but we're talking about an offensive defenseman. Inability to score a goal in 27 games is huge for an offensive defenseman. It means he's failing to score at a 3 goal per season pace!

Now if Jones was showing any upside, I'd be more willing to give him a look. Earlier in their careers, we saw lots of flashes in the pan with guys like Chytil and Laffy and Kakko - even when they weren't putting up points - that said, that's why we brought him here, I want to see more of that! I don't see that with Jones. I just see another guy who was able to dominate weaker competition whose game doesn't translate to the NHL. If I'm wrong, I'll eat my hat. But I don't think I am.

the kid is a year and a half from leaving college early, at age 20,
and you think his story is already written?

Was yours, a week after turning 22?

 

[DanielBrassard]

Definitely expect to see more from him moving forward. I'd like to see him use his feet and look to open up lanes instead of settling for shots from the outside that he's not getting to the net enough. It's unfortunate how he's on a short leash but that's the nature of the beast for a small PMD who has trouble defending. I think he reads the game too well offensively not to succeed but we will see.

 

[egelband]

I have been basically happy with Jones defensively. And I think his shot is very effective. Gets it on net. Causes rebounds.

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

Funny. I remember fans saying a lot of the same things about Gilroy, Pock, and Mottau at one time too.

He's not a serious scoring threat from the point, and his playmaking is just OK. Q: How many serious offensive defenseman are there who aren't a legit threat to beat an NHL goalie clean from the point? A: Very few.

If you're saying he's not going to be a true offensive defenseman, and therefore his offensive game is going to project out to be mediocre, then he's got to get a heck of a lot stronger defensively and on the puck, and his decisions need to be smarter when joining the rush or pinching. Personally, I think he's regressing. He looked better 2 years ago coming straight out of college than he did last year, and this year he looks downright awful. But whatever, each can have their own opinion.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Zac ain’t done.

Hajek just doesn’t have the tools

But when Jonesy get back in he’s gonna have to be better

 

[Fitzy]

Zac ain’t done.

Hajek just doesn’t have the tools

But when Jonesy get back in he’s gonna have to be better

We can afford to be patient. He has all the skills he needs.

I'd just find a way to partner both he and Schneider with a veteran .

 

[bl02]

Let the kid play please!!!
Like I said if there is any smart gm out there I try to grab him in a trade

 

[Kocur Dill]

From where, and the way he scored that goal from a set up.

I'm'a go ahead and say someone in that locker room reads these boards.

WTG, Kid.

 

[QJL]

Let the kid play please!!!
Like I said if there is any smart gm out there I try to grab him in a trade

The Rangers have the worst D depth in the league and no cap space. Jones is not a candidate for a trade.

Congrats on his first goal!

 

[bl02]

The Rangers have the worst D depth in the league and no cap space. Jones is not a candidate for a trade.

Congrats on his first goal!

They should play him more kid has potential but they don't