New York Rangers' Zac Jones Could Be Team's IX-Factor in 2024-25 – Hockey Writers – New York Rangers

The New York Rangers haven't made any major changes this offseason, but they may make a change on defense as Zac Jones replaces Erik Gustafsson, who signed with the Detroit Red Wings on July 1. The 23-year-old blueliner has an offensive offense. and played well late in the 2023-24 regular season. He could be the X-factor for the Blueshirts this season.

Jones' game 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 player and displayed an accurate wrist shot that made him a weapon on the power play. He finished with three goals and 20 assists in 32 games in 2019-2020 and nine goals and 15 assists in 2020-21. He helped lead his team to their first NCAA Tournament in 2020-21.

Jones made his professional debut for 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 struggled defensively and didn't produce offensively enough to make up for the defensive issues, finishing with one goal and one assist in 16 games. He also excelled 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 generally healthy. Injuries to Gustafsson, Jacob Trouba, and Ryan Lindgren gave him a chance to play regularly late in the regular season and he played very well.

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Jones created many scoring opportunities, used his positioning and dribbling skills to defend well, and showed ease 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 when his injured teammates returned; However, head coach Peter Laviolette opted to play veteran blueliners instead of him in the postseason.

Jones' role at Rangers this season

The Rangers have one of the best defensemen in the NHL in Adam Fox but don't have many other greens to build on offensively. Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider have never finished with more than 19 points in a season. Trouba struggled to finish with 22 points last season and K'Andre Miller finished with 30 points last season. Gustafsson had 31 points.

Related: Rangers Pick Right With Ryan Lindgren After 2023-24 Season

Jones is likely to play on the Rangers' third team and second power play unit. He is a fast skater and has produced offensively for UMass-Amherst and the Wolf Pack; now he'll have a chance 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 mind to create opportunities at even strength.

Additionally, the Rangers don't have much speed on their blue line so Jones' skating ability makes him a welcome addition to the roster. He's smaller than most of their defensemen at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds but showed late last season that he can be effective on defense in the NHL. Now he has to show that he can defend well consistently.

Jones Has a Chance to Cement Himself Moving Forward

Last season, Jones played so well that he earned a spot on the postseason roster, but he was not given the opportunity to do so. Now, with Gustafsson out of the team, the young blueliner has a chance to solidify himself in the lineup. His offensive ability, combined with his improved defensive style, could help him be the difference for the Rangers this season.