At the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, the Boston Bruins acquired veteran winger Pat Maroon from the Minnesota Wild. The move certainly made sense, as they wanted more size and toughness in their bottom six.

Maroon’s time in Boston was rather brief. At the time of the trade, he was still recovering from back surgery and only made two regular-season appearances for the Bruins. However, he played in all 13 of the Bruins’ playoff games, recording two assists and 18 penalty minutes. Overall, while his offense was down, he did provide the Bruins with more physicality and leadership during the playoffs.

The Bruins elected not to re-sign Maroon this summer, and he signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. While the Bruins could have benefitted from keeping him around, they ended up finding an excellent replacement for him in free agency: Max Jones.

Jones plays a similar style to Maroon, as he never shies away from the physical side of the game. Besides being a tough and tenacious forward, Jones is also impactful because of his speed. This should help him find a home in the Bruins’ bottom six next season, but he also has the potential to make a more significant impact than expected.

At 26 years old, Jones is still young enough to take another step forward in his development. Sometimes, players thrive when given a fresh start, and the Bruins are known for helping players hit new levels. Perhaps Jones, a former first-round pick, could be the next to follow this trend.

Overall, while keeping Maroon could have been good for the Bruins, Jones appears to be more than a solid replacement for him. It will be very interesting to see what kind of season the Rochester, Michigan native has from here.