Prospect Info: Zachary Jones, LD, 3rd round, 68th overall, 2019

[KirkAlbuquerque]

People need to take a look at the defenses of the teams that have won recently.

Your Oleksiaks, Schenns, Bogosians, Bortuzzos... they suck ass in the reg season and then the playoffs come around and they’re beasts. Remember how Brian Boyle was useless then would become a monster during playoff time? Parayko is a solid player usually but during their run people had him as one of the top 5 d men in the league. People still haven’t recognized this trend

 

[Kodiak]

Ugh I really hope not. I know Fox can probably play with anyone but I hate breaking up a sure thing. Plus this kid did it the hard way. Playing his ass off even in preseason games to get noticed. I want at least one guy like that on the defense.

Things can change over the years, and we may have a better partner for Fox. There was a time when a pairing of Staal and Girardi was having a lot of success and we thought we had locked in a shutdown pairing for the next decade. But soon enough, McDonagh supplanted Staal and the McDonagh-Girardi pairing worked very well as a top pairing for a time. We shouldn't get too attached to particular combinations.

 

[The New Russian Five]

Things can change over the years, and we may have a better partner for Fox. There was a time when a pairing of Staal and Girardi was having a lot of success and we thought we had locked in a shutdown pairing for the next decade. But soon enough, McDonagh supplanted Staal and the McDonagh-Girardi pairing worked very well as a top pairing for a time. We shouldn't get too attached to particular combinations.

The beauty of all of this is that there is no rush to figure this out. A lot of room to experiment, watch these kids grow, and evaluate players before they move them, especially on a rangers team that is definitely not lacking depth in any particular area.

 

[dshea19]

It's too early too tell. The Rangers will definitely be monitoring two things --- durability and cost with Lindgren.

Additional factors could also include how Robertson, Jones, Schneider, Lundkvist come along, who stays and who gets moved in deals, etc.

Unfortunately, if we're successful at bringing our young talent along, you're going to see a lot guys outside a core handful come and go over the years. And not all of them are going to be 29 and pending UFAs. Some are going to be promising young players who bring back pieces to fill other holes and some are going to be guys in their prime who price themselves out.

The durability of 55 is my biggest concern. I can see a Girardi type of decline. He reminds me of having Callahan as a defenseman. Yes, all that heart, but will it cost years off of his career? We will see.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

They are 6 foot.

That's 4 centimeters taller than Nils Lundkvist. Are you really suggesting that's the difference between winning and losing a Cup?

4 centimeters. That's less than the height of 2 pucks stacked on top of each other

ok.

how about the weight? Pretty sure both kempny and niskanen come in over 190. Nils is what, 170? 175?

edit: niskanen is listed at 6’1 and 203, he doesn’t apply.

 

[Off Sides]

ok.

how about the weight? Pretty sure both kempny and niskanen come in over 190. Nils is what, 170? 175?

edit: niskanen is listed at 6’1 and 203, he doesn’t apply.

Lundkvist is listed on hockeydb as 5'10 174, and then on capfriendly at 5'11 187

I assume that means he gained 13 pounds and an inch in the two years since drafted.

At that rate he'll be 6'0 200 by the time he makes the Rangers roster and considered big I guess

 

[Kodiak]

Lundkvist is listed on hockeydb as 5'10 174, and then on capfriendly at 5'11 187

I assume that means he gained 13 pounds and an inch in the two years since drafted.

At that rate he'll be 6'0 200 by the time he makes the Rangers roster and considered big I guess

Players that are 5'10" or 5'11" magically become 6'0" when listed on an NHL roster, just like how players who are 5'7" or 5'8" just suddenly become 5'10" or 5'11". Maybe it's because they have access to the best training and nutrition?

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Lundkvist is listed on hockeydb as 5'10 174, and then on capfriendly at 5'11 187

I assume that means he gained 13 pounds and an inch in the two years since drafted.

At that rate he'll be 6'0 200 by the time he makes the Rangers roster and considered big I guess

big enough yeah. Though I’m calling shenanigans on that measurement. He still looks really slight on the ice.

the question should really be when was the last time a team won with players sized like fox and nils in their top 4. I’d imagine it’s never happened. Doesn’t mean it can’t, but there’s a reason why winning teams try to trend bigger at the position. It’s not only about being being able to handle punishment, it’s about taking away space.

I worry about nils ability to do both.

 

[bl02]

We do realize Lindgren just turned 23 and sure he plays a hard game but I’m not gonna jettison him out of here at age 25 or 26. And of course it comes down to money and hopefully a fair deal is there to be made that makes sense for player and club

 

[Off Sides]

Players that are 5'10" or 5'11" magically become 6'0" when listed on an NHL roster, just like how players who are 5'7" or 5'8" just suddenly become 5'10" or 5'11". Maybe it's because they have access to the best training and nutrition?

I agree the stats are not very accurate,

Lias Andersson for example grew an inch and lost 2 pounds. Or shrank an inch and gained 2 pounds depending on which site one uses.

 

[Off Sides]

big enough yeah. Though I’m calling shenanigans on that measurement. He still looks really slight on the ice.

the question should really be when was the last time a team won with players sized like fox and nils in their top 4. I’d imagine it’s never happened. Doesn’t mean it can’t, but there’s a reason why winning teams try to trend bigger at the position. It’s not only about being being able to handle punishment, it’s about taking away space.

I worry about nils ability to do both.

I get what you are saying, just that the difference in size makes anyone 5-10 to 6-2 medium if we use Gerbe and Chara as the extremes.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

big enough yeah. Though I’m calling shenanigans on that measurement. He still looks really slight on the ice.

the question should really be when was the last time a team won with players sized like fox and nils in their top 4. I’d imagine it’s never happened. Doesn’t mean it can’t, but there’s a reason why winning teams try to trend bigger at the position. It’s not only about being being able to handle punishment, it’s about taking away space.

I worry about nils ability to do both.

Official SHL measurements

85 kg = 187 lbs
179 cm = 5'11"

 

[duhmetreE]

This team still has Lindgren, Trouba and Miller on defense. It's not as if we only have 5'5" blueliners

Lindgren is borderline. He plays bigger than his size but he could also be pushed around.

The issue is looking forward.. if its Fox, Lindgren, Jones and Lundkvist... it's too smurfy.

 

[dshea19]

We do realize Lindgren just turned 23 and sure he plays a hard game but I’m not gonna jettison him out of here at age 25 or 26. And of course it comes down to money and hopefully a fair deal is there to be made that makes sense for player and club

For Lingren it is about the free agent deal and maybe how much the bridge deal is. He is all good for now.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Lindgren is borderline. He plays bigger than his size but he could also be pushed around.

The issue is looking forward.. if its Fox, Lindgren, Jones and Lundkvist... it's too smurfy.

Why don't we just draft 5 defensemen who are 6'7 and go with that?

 

[nyr2k2]

Lindgren is borderline. He plays bigger than his size but he could also be pushed around.

The issue is looking forward.. if its Fox, Lindgren, Jones and Lundkvist... it's too smurfy.

Lindgren gets pushed around less than most guys who have a few inches on him.

 

[BKGooner]

Why don't we just draft 5 defensemen who are 6'7 and go with that?

Good teams start from the crease out - Hugo come say something charming.

 

[duhmetreE]

Why don't we just draft 5 defensemen who are 6'7 and go with that?

or we can just go with Robertson and Schneider/Lundkvist.

 

[Mugless]

We know what JD thinks about playoff D. 5:58 mark:

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

or we can just go with Robertson and Schneider/Lundkvist.

Let's just go with the best players

 

[duhmetreE]

Let's just go with the best players

We did that with our forwards and it always doesn't work well.

We just need mobile PMD. If they're big and/or nasty as well, they get priority.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

If I am Zach I refuse to sign with Rangers and either force a trade or become a UFA in a year.

This is what happens when you get obsessed with drafting too many Dmen. You shoot yourself in the foot. You only get lucky so many times (Skjei trade) others will be lost for nothing or traded for low return. When a lazy GM creates more work for himself we end up losing assets.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

If I am Zach I refuse to sign with Rangers and either force a trade or become a UFA in a year.

This is what happens when you get obsessed with drafting too many Dmen. You shoot yourself in the foot. You only get lucky so many times (Skjei trade) others will be lost for nothing or traded for low return. When a lazy GM creates more work for himself we end up losing assets.

That's not how it works. His rights only expire in 2023

 

[Machinehead]

I'll give you weight/strength.

Height is f***ing useless.

First of all, it's totally marginal. I'm taller than like 90-95% of the population (I'm about 6'1"/6'2"ish) and nobody would ever notice that I'm tall. I'm like five centimeters taller than everyone else. That's like, a bug. Unless you're super ass tall, (6'5"+) it's not even a thing. Kravtsov is 6'3"/6'4" and I don't even notice him in that regard. Buchnevich is 6'3"; tell me with a straight face that you even remember that.

Second, hockey is the only major team sport where playing above your shoulders is literally illegal. Height is way more useful in every other sport, even the "soft" ones. 6'3"/6'4" attackers in soccer are undefendable in the right positions. Tall baseball players have more range defensively. Don't get me started on basketball. What exactly do tall hockey players accomplish? They have to slide the puck along the ice like everyone else.

And while I'm at it, don't even get me started on the imaginary "you can only have two defensemen capable of scoring" quota.

 

[The New Russian Five]

If I am Zach I refuse to sign with Rangers and either force a trade or become a UFA in a year.

This is what happens when you get obsessed with drafting too many Dmen. You shoot yourself in the foot. You only get lucky so many times (Skjei trade) others will be lost for nothing or traded for low return. When a lazy GM creates more work for himself we end up losing assets.

The heck? Nothing in this post makes sense.