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 ...
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