RANGERS' FORGOTTEN MAN COULD BE TRADED ... FINALLY

 At last. The New York Rangers have discussed trading their forgotten player. We’re told the Florida Panthers and Arizona Coyotes (among others) have inquired about ZAC JONES, the talented defenseman and native Richmonder who has been odd man out for new coach PETER LAVOLIETTE … With the NHL trade deadline March 8, it’s a wonder anyone remembers Jones, much less is interested in him, after being a healthy scratch for all but 17 of NY’s 60 games … including the last 10 and 21 of 25 (since the first of the year.) … Most of his playing time came in December while 2021 Norris TrophyAward-winning ADAM FOX was sidelined, and the Rangers went 7-2-1 en route to building a commanding lead in the Metropolitan Division. With Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over Columbus, New York became the first of the league’s 32 teams to win 40 games … Currently the odds-on choice to claim the 2023-24 Stanley Cup after losing to Las Vegas in last year’s finals, Florida is said to be more interested in Jones, 22, for next season. The Panthers have 10 pending free agents … among them a couple of six-foot defensemen as well as SAM REINHART, who has had a breakout season with 41 goals ... and must be re-signed at just about any price. He could go as high as $8-$9 mil a year … which would strain any team’s salary cap. Meanwhile, Jones will be in the second of a two-year contract calling for a modest $825,000 annually … By contrast to the powerful Panthers, Arizona has been spinning out of control downward and is looking to remake its lineup. The Coyotes had lost 13 games in a row and were 23-30-5 going into Thursday night’s game with Toronto. Of their eight defensemen, three (like Jones) are left-handed and only J.J. MOSER, 23 (6-1, 173), has had a borderline decent campaign. He’s among only four players on the roster with a plus (2) in the tell-tale plus-minus category … and has three goals and 22 points. Leading scorerCLAYTON KELLER is minus-21 … The Rangers are said to be after a second-or-third line center as well as someone to play right wing on the top line with CHRIS KRIETER and MIKA ZIBANEJAD. A whole bunch of names have been speculated … the latest former Ranger PAVEL BUCHNEVICH of the St. Louis Blues for whom he has 190 points in 192 games.

….. IN CASE you missed it … MATT REMPE kept his 

gloves on (for a change) against Columbus. The game’s only 

fight matched WILL CUYLIE with the Blue Jackets’

 DMITRI VORONKOV after the Ranger wing knocked 

defenseman IVAN POVOROV into the boards from behind 

… Cuylie was lucky he didn’t get more than a five-minute 

major … but then New York was fortunate that (a) the 

officiating was subpar (as usual); and, even more so, that (b)

 IGOR SHESTERKINcontinued his recent streak of 

brilliance. The Rangers’ goaltender began by stoning SEAN 

KURALY on a clean breakaway and continued to make up 

for poor defense en route to his seventh straight victory … 

With 6:22 left in the second period, VINCENT 

TROCHECK ran Columbus’ JOHNNY GAUDREAU who 

didn’t have the puck. The call was intent to injure but, after 

review, was overturned. What’s more, Trocheck was not even 

given two minutes for interference (which should have been 

his minimum infraction) … and MATHIEU OLIVIER was 

sent off for cross-checking Trocheck. So … instead of 4 on 4 

… the Rangers had a power play which they quickly 

converted for what proved the winning goal … Get this: 

Jackets’ 6-5, 222-pound defenseman ERIK GUDBRANSON, 

32, seemingly with an easy clear from his end of the ice, 

played the puck like it was a hot potato … and basically left it 

for Kreider who quickly passed to Fox who really had no 

choice but score … If you thought that was a gift goal, you 

should have seen the Rangers’ first … by red-hot ARTEMI 

PANARIN. Trocheck won a faceoff to the right of goaltender

 ELVIS MERZLIKINS. Before the linesman could escape 

the circle, the puck bounced off his skate to Panarin, who 

caught Merzlikins off guard with a sudden shot that squirted 

between the goalie’s legs … BAD goal … New York made 

the outcome look one-sided with a couple of empty-net goals 

with 52.6 and 11.9 seconds to go … but anyone who saw the 

game knew it wasn’t so. The Blue Jackets, one of the league’s 

worst teams, outplayed the Cup contenders especially in the 

third period when the Rangers managed only four shots on 

goal … As for Rempe … the home crowd came alive every 

time he hit (sorry about that) the ice, anticipating his fourth 

fight in six games. Not that Rempe kept his distance from 

Olivier … who left the BIG rookie forward with a black left 

eye – and fortunate his nose wasn’t broken – in a one-sided 

bout last time out. Wednesday, during a skirmish near 

Shesterkin involving several players, Rempe wound up 

hugging Olivier from behind … and neither gave any 

indication he was ready for Round 2 … Actually, Rempe had 

the puck when Trocheck laid out Gaudreau … but ESPN-plus 

failed to show where the 21-year-old, 6-8 ½, 241 pounder 

was, or how he reacted (if at all) when Olivier put the lumber 

to Trocheck.

Until next time ...

At last. The New York Rangers have discussed trading their forgotten player. We’re told the Florida Panthers and Arizona Coyotes (among others) have inquired about ZAC JONES, the talented defenseman and native Richmonder who has been odd man out for new coach PETER LAVOLIETTE … With the NHL trade deadline March 8, it’s a wonder anyone remembers Jones, much less is interested in him, after being a healthy scratch for all but 17 of NY’s 60 games … including the last 10 and 21 of 25 (since the first of the year.) … Most of his playing time came in December while 2022 Norris TrophyAward-winning ADAM FOX was sidelined, and the Rangers went 7-2-1 en route to building a commanding lead in the Metropolitan Division. With Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over Columbus, New York became the first of the league’s 32 teams to win 40 games … Currently the odds-on choice to claim the 2023-24 Stanley Cup after losing to Las Vegas in last year’s finals, Florida is said to be more interested in Jones, 22, for next season. The Panthers have 10 pending free agents … among them a couple of six-foot defensemen as well as SAM REINHART, who has had a breakout season with 29 goals ... and must be re-signed at just about any price. He could go as high as $8-$9 mil a year … which would strain any team’s salary cap. Meanwhile, Jones will be in the second of a two-year contract calling for a modest $825,000 annually … By contrast to the powerful Panthers, Arizona has been spinning out of control downward and is looking to remake its lineup. The Coyotes had lost 13 games in a row and were 23-30-5 going into Thursday night’s game with Toronto. Of their eight defensemen, three (like Jones) are left-handed and only J.J. MOSER, 23 (6-1, 173), has had a borderline decent campaign. He’s among only four players on the roster with a plus (2) in the tell-tale plus-minus category … and has three goals and 22 points. Leading scorerCLAYTON KELLER is minus-21 … The Rangers are said to be after a second-or-third line center as well as someone to play right wing on the top line with CHRIS KRIETER and MIKA ZIBANEJAD. A whole bunch of names have been speculated … the latest former Ranger PAVEL BUCHNEVICH of the St. Louis Blues for whom he has 190 points in 192 games.

….. IN CASE you missed it … MATT REMPE kept his gloves on (for a change) against Columbus. The game’s only fight matched WILL CUYLIE with the Blue Jackets’ DMITRI VORONKOV after the Ranger wing knocked defenseman IVAN POVOROV into the boards from behind … Cuylie was lucky he didn’t get more than a five-minute major … but then New York was fortunate that (a) the officiating was subpar (as usual); and, even more so, that (b) IGOR SHESTERKINcontinued his recent streak of brilliance. The Rangers’ goaltender began by stoning SEAN KURALY on a clean breakaway and continued to make up for poor defense en route to his seventh straight victory … With 6:22 left in the second period, VINCENT TROCHECK ran Columbus’ JOHNNY GAUDREAU who didn’t have the puck. The call was intent to injure but, after review, was overturned. What’s more, Trocheck was not even given two minutes for interference (which should have been his minimum infraction) … and MATHIEU OLIVIER was sent off for cross-checking Trocheck. So … instead of 4 on 4 … the Rangers had a power play which they quickly converted for what proved the winning goal … Get this: Jackets’ 6-5, 222-pound defenseman ERIK GUDBRANSON, 32, seemingly with an easy clear from his end of the ice, played the puck like it was a hot potato … and basically left it for Kreider who quickly passed to Fox who really had no choice but score … If you thought that was a gift goal, you should have seen the Rangers’ first … by red-hot ARTEMI PANARIN. Trocheck won a faceoff to the right of goaltender ELVIS MERZLIKINS. Before the linesman could escape the circle, the puck bounced off his skate to Panarin, who caught Merzlikins off guard with a sudden shot that squirted between the goalie’s legs … BAD goal … New York made the outcome look one-sided with a couple of empty-net goals with 52.6 and 11.9 seconds to go … but anyone who saw the game knew it wasn’t so. The Blue Jackets, one of the league’s worst teams, outplayed the Cup contenders especially in the third period when the Rangers managed only four shots on goal … As for Rempe … the home crowd came alive every time he hit (sorry about that) the ice, anticipating his fourth fight in six games. Not that Rempe kept his distance from Olivier … who left the BIG rookie forward with a black left eye – and fortunate his nose wasn’t broken – in a one-sided bout last time out. Wednesday, during a skirmish near Shesterkin involving several players, Rempe wound up hugging Olivier from behind … and neither gave any indication he was ready for Round 2 … Actually, Rempe had the puck when Trocheck laid out Gaudreau … but ESPN-plus failed to show where the 21-year-old, 6-8 ½, 241 pounder was, or how he reacted (if at all) when Olivier put the lumber to Trocheck.

Until next time ...