“Fantastic” Rangers youngster gets chance in training camp

It's clear from their words and actions that the New York Rangers believe Zac Jones deserves a chance to be one of their top six defensemen next season. So when training camp begins in September, it'll be up to Jones to prove himself and have a chance to replace Erik Gustafsson on the third pair.

Gustafsson signed a two-year, $4 million deal with the Detroit Red Wings in the offseason after a solid season with the Blueshirts. Rather than bring in a veteran player to replace Gustafsson, the Rangers stuck with his old job, obviously believing that Jones, entering his 24th season, was finally ready to take a regular spot in the lineup.

Their only other significant move on defense was the return of Chad Ruhwedel on a league minimum contract to provide depth as the seventh or eighth defenseman on the roster.

So the Rangers' actions spoke volumes about their plans to replace Gustafsson this season. Now, coach Peter Laviolette's words backed up New York's actions.

“Zac Jones got better every time he played for us,” Laviolette told NHL.com. “He had to bring that to himself every time we pushed him, and it wasn't consistent. When he got the chance, he was fantastic. He's definitely going to see a lot in training camp.”

Jones played a career-high 31 games in the NHL last season. As Laviolette noted, that playing time was inconsistent. He became a regular in November when Adam Fox was sidelined for a month with a knee injury. After that, Jones played just six games from December to February.

In March, however, Jones became a regular starter, appearing in 12 games due to injuries to Jacob Trouba, Ryan Lindgren and Gustafsson. He played more than 17 minutes on the ice five times, earning high praise from Laviolette and his teammates.

“He's worked his ass off every practice, every day,” Laviolette said in March. “He got the opportunity to get back in here. He waited, was patient, worked hard to get the opportunity and he got back in and is playing great hockey again.”

Jones finished the 2023-24 season with nine points (two goals, seven assists) and a plus-one rating. Although many called for him to be given a chance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Jones did not play in a single one of New York's 16 postseason games when Gutsafsson and Trouba struggled.

Related: How Matt Rempe earned the respect of a tough division opponent last season

Zac Jones to replace Erik Gustafsson in the Rangers defense

Now, after four seasons of minimal NHL experience (69 games), Jones looks set to get his chance this fall. He could play alongside Trouba, the veteran captain, or Braden Schneider, the 22-year-old who seems destined for the top-four position sooner rather than later. Either way, he can only lose that third-pairing spot.

At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, Jones brings neither size nor physicality to the defense, which seems to counteract the need on defense, especially after the Rangers struggled to effectively handle the Florida Panthers' relentless physical play in the Eastern Conference finals last spring.

However, Jones is a skilled puck-shifter, perhaps second only to Fox in that category among Rangers defensemen, and that could have benefited the Rangers against the Panthers when they repeatedly failed to get clear, clean passes out of their zone from the defense.

Jones is Gustafsson's role model in terms of skill. Gustafsson is bigger (6'1″, 185 lbs) and more experienced (455 NHL games), but he and Jones are good skaters and puck movers who are capable of scoring from behind. Because of this, it's reasonable to expect Jones to get a chance to quarterback the Rangers' PP2 unit, just as Gustafsson did a year ago.

If for some reason things don't go well for Jones, which would be a surprise, the Rangers could still bolster their defense before the trade deadline, with Jones serving as a valuable seventh defenseman.

The flip side of this is that if Jones lives up to Laviolette and the Blueshirts' expectations, the Rangers may have another key, affordable player for years to come.

And obviously he will finally get the chance to prove himself with the Rangers.

Jim Cerny is Executive Editor at Forever Blueshirts and Managing Editor at Sportsnaut and has over 30 years of experience… More about Jim Cerny

Mentioned in this article:Erik Gustafsson Peter Laviolette Zac Jones

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