RANGERS COULD LOSE Z JONES TO FREE AGENCY AS TIME IS RUNNING OUT

 Hockey, hockey … nothing but hockey ...

FRIDAY, your New York Rangers announced they had re-

signed a left-handed defenseman … but his name was not

 ZAC JONES. Instead, it was MATTHEW 

ROBERTSON, who figures to return to the American 

Hockey League where he belongs … while the Broadway 

Blueshirts continue to decide what to do about Jones and

 K’ANDRE MILLER … with time running out before 

the July 1 start of open-season on free agents, which both 

Jones and Miller are.

From all indications Miller, a big (6-5, 220) but polarizing 

regular, will be traded. The Big Apple press corps, never 

at a loss for coming up with source-driven deals (before 

the fact) that seldom prove accurate, has had him going to 

several teams out West … most recently to the Carolina 

Hurricanes, who, at last look, were in the East.

Meanwhile, Jones, a smaller (5-11, 185) but popular part-

timer from Richmond … the first player born and raised 

in Virginia to suit up in the NHL … remains in limbo (of 

sorts). With a new coach MIKE SULLIVAN in town, 

Jones has reason to believe he will get a better chance to 

play regularly than he did under outgoing PETER 

LAVIOLETTE (fired). Still, nothing is guaranteed as 

Jones knows all too well. Sullivan will be his fourth 

coach in six years with New York. In fact, he’s had his 

best seasons as a pro playing regularly with AHL 

Hartford for KRIS KNOBLAUCH, who has coached the 

Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup finals each of the 

past two years.

In a well-circulated video a few days ago, Jones was said 

to be holding out for at multi-year contract of $1 million-

plus a year. The Rangers were thought to be offering less 

than the $850,000 he made in 2024-25, knowing Jones 

would be a steal at $1M … but when you’re faced with 

salary-cap problems like New York is … maybe they'll 

trade Jones, too. (I mean, how dare he ask for a 

measly one mil.) He can only hope.

MORE Rangers: Unable to move MIKA ZIBANEJAD, 

who has a no-trade contract worth a bloated $8M a year, 

GM CHRIS DRURY sent Sullivan to Sweden to 

welcome the usually-high-scoring forward … The 

Washington Capitals have told minor-league, right-

handed defenseman ETHAN BEAR (5-11, 198) he can 

make a deal for himself … and guess who is among those 

interested? Right the first time … Robertson can make the 

NHL minimum ($775,000) if he plays for the Rangers.

QUOTING Oilers’ LEON DRAISAITL after losing the 

Stanley Cup finals to Florida Panthers for the second 

straight year: “They were good last year [but] I think they 

were much better than last year. They just added another 

layer of maturity and calmness. Those two things were 

most important.”

On The NHL Channel, former New Jersey Devils 

defenseman and tough guy, winner of three Cups KEN 

DANEYKO said all the right things about the Panthers 

except … he just couldn’t bring himself to say the 

obvious … Florida is just a modern, more-polished 

version of the Philadelphia Flyers, back-to-back champs 

(1973-74) of DAVE SCHULTZ, BOBBY CLARKE et 

al, who wore out rivals by intimidation … and were 

responsible for numerous rules changes that, even today, 

more than 50 years later, are (for the most part) put aside 

and overlooked in the playoffs. Or did you miss all the 

ugly stuff that wasn’t called (thank goodness) as the 

Panthers romped four games to two?

In fact, Edmonton, which would be happiest if everything 

was whistled down by officials, tried to match the 

Panthers cheap shot for cheap shot in Game 3 … and 

looked borderline comical when Florida turned the other 

cheek, leading to an Oilers’ parade to the 

penalty box and a one-sided 6-1 defeat.

Daneyko joined the chorus by insisting Edmonton’s

 CONNOR McDAVID is, by far, “the best player in [all 

of] hockey,” yet the 29 year old, for all his great moves 

and piling up points (100 during the regular season), still 

doesn’t have a Cup with his name … and was all but 

invisible in the final round … as was Draisaitl, like his 

line mate a point-producing fool (106) -- against everyone 

but the Panthers, that is.

Not that anyone should hold them most responsible for 

another post-season disappointment. That should go to 

the Oilers’ goaltending tandem of STUART SKINNER

 and CALVIN PICKARD. Sure, both had moments of 

brilliance … but each also let in some weak goals that 

could be as uplifting to Florida as they proved deflating to 

Edmonton … Meanwhile, SERGEI BOBROVSKY, in 

goal for the Panthers, had another outstanding round.

Until next time ...