AT LEAST JONES SHOULD GET TO PLAY WITH SABRES

 In 54 years since joining the National Hockey League as an expansion team, the Buffalo Sabres haven’t won a Stanley Cup. Heck, they’ve only been to the championship round twice … in 1975 when Philadelphia, which also entered the NHL in 1970-71, bullied its way to a second consecutive Cup … and 1999 when they lost 4 games to 2 to the Dallas Stars.

It’s doubtful there has been a more pitiful franchise in 

recent years. The Sabres haven’t been to the playoffs in a 

league-record (and counting) 14 seasons. (Believe it or 

not, co-No. 2 are Florida and Edmonton, NHL finalists 

each of the past two campaigns, each at 10 in a row.)

While the Panthers (already favored to make it three 

straight in 2025-26) and Oilers have long-since snapped 

out of what was ailing them, nobody will be surprised if 

your Buffalo ice hockey team keeps its standard for 

futility alive. Maybe ZAC JONESmade a mistake after 

all.

The 24 year old defenseman from Richmond signed with 

the Sabres as a free agent late Tuesday night after 

spending five years being overlooked and treated badly 

by the New York Rangers … who selected Jones in the 3d 

round of the 2019 draft (68th overall). He joined the 

Broadway Blueshirts after playing a major role in UMass 

winning the 2021 NCAA championship … accompanied 

by high hopes that were seldom realized because, for 

reasons never articulated, he spent more time watching 

from the press box as a healthy scratch.

When Jones did get a chance to play, he almost always 

drew raves … fitrom the coaches as well as fans. This 

past season was typical. It seemed like he would play 

well, one of the Rangers’ best along the backline, only to 

find his name omitted from the lineup – again.

As you might suspect, Jones’ frustration continued to 

grow to the point he went (briefly) out of character and 

sounded off, saying he was “rotting away” by the 

inactivity.

He reportedly didn’t ask to be traded but did get the OK 

from general manager CHRIS DRURY to make a deal 

for himself via agent We are told (not by Jones) he had a 

couple of teams make offers but Drury rejected them.

“I just don’t get it,” said someone close to the situation. 

“He doesn’t play that much, and they [Rangers] are 

asking for a first or second round draft choice .. like he’s a 

top two defenseman. He could be, if they’d give him the 

opportunity, but they won’t, so …”

In 115 games with New York, Jones, for the most part, 

played on the left side of the No. 3 defensive pairing. He 

and BRADEN SCHNEIDER, 22, were best together but, 

over the past two seasons, coach PETER LAVIOLETTE

 (since fired) used Jones with a variety of partners … that 

is, when he used him at all.

“There’s a solid chance he didn’t want to re-sign with the 

Rangers [after] repeatedly being a healthy scratch … 

despite having, objectively, better numbers than at least 

half the defenseman dressing on a regular basis,” wrote 

an NFL beat writer, adding, “You can’t really blame him 

for wanting a fresh start. Whichever team signs him will 

be getting a solid player who has earned more playing 

time to show he belongs.”

For the most part, the fans agreed. A small sample of 

opinion:

“Another young Ranger who didn’t get a chance … Asset 

mismanagement … The guy got a real raw deal here … 

Jones has value and will be loved wherever he goes … 

We didn’t deserve him … I hope Jones kills them 

[Rangers] for the next 10 years.” 

He made his pro debut April 22, 2021, replacing JACOB 

TROUBA in the lineup for the last 10 games of the 

season after the tough guy and team captain-to-be was 

sidelined with a broken thumb, the result of being 

knocked into the boards by the Islanders’ MATT 

MARTIN.

As it has been throughout his career, Jones immediately 

was labeled “too small” even though he and teammate

 ADAM FOX, winner of the 2022 Norris Trophy as the 

NHL’s best defenseman, are the same size.

Unlike Fox who, until 2024-25 when the Rangers failed 

to qualify for the playoffs after having the league’s best 

regular-season record a year earlier, had been a point-

producing machine, Jones didn’t concentrate on scoring. 

His primary value has been in the defensive end where he 

uses speed and guile to move the puck quickly from 

harm’s way, seldom turning it over – which was a notable 

problem for the defensive unit as a whole.

And, despite giving up several inches and as many as 30 

pounds to rival forwards, more than held his own with 

stick work. Even so, critics continued to cite an inability 

to move bigger rivals away from the Ranger goal … like 

they failed to notice that’s a lost art. Watch a game 

sometime and keep track of how many times even the 

biggest defenders do it. You won’t need the fingers on one 

hand. Really!

In all, Jones had four goals and 19 assists with the 

Rangers after scoring 18 goals, to go with 49 assists, in 

108 games with AHL Hartford where he was (by far) the 

Wolf Pack’s best defenseman for two seasons (2021-23).

His arrival in Buffalo has, for the most part, been met 

with a collective shrug of the shoulders from local media 

… that has been more concerned about the Sabres’ ho-

hum approach to free agency. Although it has 

considerable money to spend under the salary cap (that 

jumps to $88 million once the 2025-26 season gets under 

way), Buffalo management has been reluctant to do so.

In fact, probably because most NHL obervers don’t 

expect much from the Sabres any more, they weren’t 

included in a national article naming the three teams who 

got the lowest grades in free agency. Had the Rangers not 

signed big, bruising defender VLADISLAV 

GAVRIKOV away from the LA Kings, they would have 

been among the candidates, too.

With a straight face it would be difficult to try and 

convince anyone the Broadway Blueshirts should be 

better on defense … despite unloading 6-5 K’ANDRE 

MILLER who, despite obvious shortcomings, got a 

$60M contract from Carolina. On the left side, for 

example, the Rangers list Gavrikov (with Fox on the top 

pairing) along with CARSON SOUCY and URHO 

VAAKANAINEN, both of whom were about to be 

shipped to the AHL when traded to New York last season.

Soucy didn’t play much for Laviolette. Vaakanainen did 

and wasn’t very good, to put it mildly. Now there’s talk 

Schneider will move from right to left … that is, if he 

isn’t included in one of those blockbuster deals the Big 

Apple press likes to write about (that seldom, if ever, 

comes true).

With Jones, Buffalo has two strong defensive tandems 

(that include RASMUS DAHLIN and former No. l 

overall draft choice OWEN POWER.) 

Prediction: Given a regular chance to show what he can 

do, Z Jones should be among the top free agents in the 

Class of 2025 … and, at a salary of $900,000, will be The 

Bargain of the Year.

Until next time ...