The New York Rangers have not made any big changes this offseason but they will likely be making a change on defense with Zac Jones replacing Erik Gustafsson, who signed with the Detroit Red Wings on July 1. The 23-year-old blueliner has offensive upside and played well late in the 2023-24 regular season. He could become an X-factor for the Blueshirts this season.
Jones’ Play With the Rangers
The Rangers drafted Jones in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft and he went on to play two seasons of college hockey for UMass-Amherst. He proved to be an impressive playmaker and showed off an accurate wrist shot which made him a weapon on the power play. He finished with three goals and 20 assists in 32 games in 2019-20 and then had nine goals and 15 assists in 2020-21. He helped lead his team to their first NCAA Championship in 2020-21.
Jones made his professional debut with the Rangers late in the 2020-21 season and had four assists in 10 games. His skating was impressive but he made a few defensive mistakes. He then spent most of 2021-22 with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League and finished with nine goals and 26 assists in 52 games. He also had two assists in 12 games with the Rangers.
In 2022-23, Jones got another shot with the Rangers but he struggled defensively and did not produce enough offensively to make up for the defensive issues, finishing with one goal and one assist in 16 games. He once again performed well with the Wolf Pack and had eight goals and 23 assists in 54 games.
Last season, Jones spent the entire season in the NHL but was usually a healthy scratch. Injuries to Gustafsson, Jacob Trouba, and Ryan Lindgren gave him an opportunity for consistent playing time late in the regular season and he played very well.
Jones created a lot of scoring chances, used his positioning and skating ability to defend well, and showed poise with and without the puck. He finished with two goals and seven assists in 31 games and made a real push to stay in the lineup once his injured teammates returned; however, head coach Peter Laviolette opted to play the veteran blueliners instead of him in the postseason.
Jones’ Role on the Rangers This Season
The Rangers have one of the best defensemen in the NHL in Adam Fox but they do not have a lot of other blueliners who can create offensively. Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider have never finished with more than 19 points in a season. Trouba struggled and finished with 22 points last season and K’Andre Miller finished with 30 points last season. Gustafsson had 31 points.
Jones will likely play on the Rangers’ third pair and second power-play unit. He is a quick skater and he has produced offensively for UMass-Amherst and the Wolf Pack; now he will have an opportunity to do the same in the NHL. With Gustafsson gone, he can play on the second power-play unit and look to use his offensive instincts to create chances at even strength.
Additionally, the Rangers do not have a lot of speed on their blue line so Jones’ skating ability makes him a welcome addition to the lineup. He is smaller than most of their defensemen at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds but he proved late last season he can be effective defensively in the NHL. Now he has to prove that he can defend well consistently.
Jones Has Chance to Cement Himself Moving Forward
Last season Jones played well enough to earn a spot in the lineup for the postseason but he was never given the opportunity to do so. Now, with Gustafsson off the team, the young blueliner has the chance to cement himself in the lineup. His offensive skill, combined with his improved defensive play, could help him become a difference-maker for the Rangers this season.
